Chris Stapleton burst onto the scene years ago with his long haired, country boy persona and his signature powerhouse vocals.
There’s really nothing better than rolling the windows down and listening to Stapleton’s voice wail out of the speakers on a sunny day, but he’s also, rather quietly, brought the outlaw vibe back onto country music’s main stage. Hair and beard past the shoulders, soul shaking lyrics, and of course a couple of tunes about taking a ride on the devil’s lettuce.
In the last few Stapleton albums, all of which have received overwhelming praise, there is a common thread. Each album has a jam dedicated to the age-old practice of having a little toke. A task as old as time. The most recent, a cover of Guy Clark’s “Worry B Gone” from the Starting Over album, joins “Them Stems” on From A Room, and “Might as Well Get Stoned” from Traveller, as classic Stapleton bud ballads.
The good time choruses and boot stomping melodies in these songs have a certain aura to them. They put you in mood, the kind where you wonder if your secret stash is still under your workbench. The mood that makes you want to sit around the bonfire tonight with friends and spark more than just a split log.
These hidden gems in his album lineups are key. Stapleton uses them to cement his laid-back persona, being one of the few top country artists to openly sing about the 3rd “W,” not just whiskey and women. The next release we get from his band will not only be in the usual Grammy conversation, but also find its way into every back-porch speaker while America fires up its mental getaway.
