Futurebirds – Easy Company
Assigning a value to how much a producer elevates a band’s work is not nearly an exact science, but the fact that Brad Cook has helmed two of this year’s best records (Hurray for the Riff Raff’s The Past Is Still Alive and Waxahatchee’s Tigers Blood) shows how a true artist in the studio can turn great songs into gold. Georgia band Futurebirds enlisted Cook to produce their fifth album, Easy Company. The band’s three frontmen/songwriters (Daniel Womack, C.W. King and Thomas Johnson) wanted the album to reflect their energetic stage show (they happen to be one of my favorite live acts). On this new album, Cook and the band accomplish that not by making the songs “bigger” or “louder,” but deeper, with a wider range of sonic direction.
Womack, King and Johnson split the songwriting duties roughly into thirds on Easy Company, with Womack’s “Movin’ On” leading off the album. It starts off as an acoustic, ambling break-up song, intent on (though somewhat reluctantly) leaving behind both a partner and a home – “Now I always see your face up and down the streets of our town/A ghost I can’t ignore.” The song picks up intensity as Womack gains resolve – “Know the worst is way behind me now/And I ain’t never coming back to this town.” Womack is a bit more upbeat on “It’s Alright,” a country/rock spirit-lifter that that values grudging optimism (my favorite brand of optimism) over self-pity – “it’s kinda hard to describe why you don’t feel like yourself/You’re only barely gettin’ by but you got good friends.”
King’s contributions are among the bouncier on the record. “Solitaires” has a light trippiness that wouldn’t be out of place on a Vampire Weekend record. “Colorados” pays tribute to the Centennial State with some excellent slide guitar and a check-off of some of its familiar hallmarks – airport conspiracies, debilitating blizzards and the undefinable feeling that won’t let people leave: “The Colorados gonna have you/Crawling back for it every time.” King’s title track, though, digs a little deeper. Featuring a dash of horns from Kelly Pratt, pedal steel, and vocals from Katie Crutchfield (Waxahatchee) herself, this twangy ballad straight out of the 70s finds comfort (albeit temporary) in companionship – “Nothing’s gained from all those racing thoughts/They’re going to rot your brain/You got some easy company in me tonight.”
Johnson’s songs might contain the most melancholy found on Easy Company. “Feel Less Bad” is trying to do what the title suggests – “Every day is the same day/Every day is brand new” – while also acknowledging that each new dawn could present something even worse than what we have now, “When you’re raising tiny humans in a hell storm.” “Up and Out” (penned with Reppard Walker) is an 80s-tinged rocker built around trying to find an anchor – “I’m breathless and I/Could use your company now/’Cause I don’t want to see just how far I can go.” And Easy Company’s penultimate track, “Soft Drugs,” featuring a spoken-word bridge from Patterson Hood (Drive-By Truckers), wants nothing more than to take a beat – “You can find me with my baby/Smoking soft drugs after 5.” Futurebirds have always given fans that necessary reprieve during their shows, and I have no doubt that some of these tunes will become rollicking live events. But they’ll also sound great in your headphones or car speakers – they’ll stick with you well beyond the concert venue. And isn’t that why bands still release albums?
Song I Can’t Wait to Hear Live: “Colorados” – The rolling piano and excellent slide work will play very well in my home state, along with winks like “Secrets in the prairie/They’ve got buried up under the airport.”
Easy Company was produced by Brad Cook, engineered by Cook and Paul Voran, mixed by Jarvis Taveniere and mastered by Alex McCollough. All original songs by Daniel Womack, C.W. King, Thomas Johnson and Futurebirds, with co-writes going to Adam Landry and Reppard Walker (“5am” written by Caitlin Harnett). Futurebirds is Brannen Miles (bass), Carter King (vocals, guitar), Daniel Womack (vocals, guitar), Thomas Johnson (vocals, guitar), Kiffy Myers (pedal steel), Thomas Myers (drums) and Spencer Thomas (keyboards). Additional musicians on the album include Waxahatchee (vocals), Patterson Hood (vocals) and Kelly Pratt (horns).
Go here to order Easy Company (out August 9): https://www.dualtonestore.com/collections/futurebirds
Check out tour dates here: http://www.futurebirdsmusic.com/tour-2
Enjoy our previous coverage here: REVIEW: Futurebirds “Bloomin’ Too”