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There are some artists that stick to what they know and can always make it great, and then there are artists that change their style album after album. The latter is definitely the case of singer-songwriter Sturgill Simpson. If you’ve follow him since his early work, he’s mostly known for doing country records, but he always gives a different turn to each project, particularly in his 2016 album, A Sailor’s Guide to Earth,\u00a0<\/em>where you had a good mix of country, soul, funk & rock, and while I admit his 2 albums were decent, ASGtE<\/em> had got me on the Sturgill Simpson train.<\/p>\n Now following that record, we’ve heard quite a bit about his new album, Sound & Fury.<\/em> It also garnered some attention as the album is accompanied by its own anime film directed by Jumpei Mizusaki of the studio Kamikaze Douga (responsible for the opening sequences of\u00a0Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure, Batman Ninja\u00a0<\/em>and\u00a0Pop Team Epic).\u00a0<\/em>It is very much a visual album as the movie itself has no dialogue, and it’s been a while since a project like this happened, with the last big example I can think of being Daft Punk’s Interstella 5555, <\/em>the companion piece to their acclaimed and best album, Discovery.<\/em><\/p>\n Now the album and the movie share the dystopian apocalyptic theme with the world in a state of desolation and despair. The intro, “Ronin,” and the starting song “Remember to Breathe” catch that in spades with the lyrics.<\/p>\n I go out late at night just to see what I can find So peel it off, pull ’em down As I said earlier, this is another left-field turn for Simpson as his sound varies with some heavy futuristic production and some splashes of psychedelic rock along with some outlaw country in there…. very futuristic outlaw country. The lead single “Sing Along” continues with that high-energy style, and Sturgill’s vocals are very appealing as he ‘sings along’. Things do slow down on “Make Art Not Friends” with an excellent instrumental riff before he goes on, and this is him at his most melancholic and dour. I genuinely felt a sense of grimness, especially during the section the film used it in.<\/p>\n
\nStayin’ in the\u2005shadows\u2005where the light\u2005don’t ever shine
\nHaving one-way conversations with\u2005the darkness in my mind
\nHe does all the talking ’cause I’m the quiet kind<\/p>\n
\nLet me see it, turn around
\nJust lay back and let it happen
\nAnd remember to breathe<\/p><\/blockquote>\n