Reviews are coming in.
Today, Tyler Childers released his highly anticipated record Snipe Hunter. The album features 13 tracks, including three previously unreleased songs from the vault: “Nose On The Grindstone,” “Oneida,” and “Snipe Hunt.”
Childers released “Grindstone” and “Oneida” as singles ahead of the record’s release, leaving the two songs relatively untouched sonically. And fans loved them.
However, today, as the rest of the tracklist became available to fans, some were shocked to see that the songs were filled with numerous experimental elements. But- what did you expect? If you look at who produced the record before its release, seeing that he was teaming up with Rick Rubin should have been a clear sign that this was not going to be a traditional country record.
Rubin is known for pushing artists towards a new creative brainwave, encouraging them to strip away all the distractions and any preconceived notions and let nothing but creativity be their muse. Rubin’s approach may be unconventional, but it’s hard to argue with the results. Childers even told GQ Magazine that he believes in following signs, and all the signs pointed to him switching things up and working with Rubin.
“It’s all about knowing whether you should continue down a path or turn around and change things up. There’s just so many ways this album has been about following signs. It’s all about knowing whether you should continue down a path or turn around and change things up. There’s just so many ways this album has been about following signs.”
In my eyes, and those of many other music critics, Snipe Hunter pushes the boundaries of the traditional Appalachian sound for which Tyler Childers and the Food Stamps are known. While that sound is still present in some tunes, in other songs on the tracklist, we see Childers experimenting with electric rock and roll, “Dirty Ought Trill,” along with some spiritual elements, such as the chanting heard in the background of “Tomcat and a Dandy.”
This record is certainly one that will probably take a few listens to really get a sense of, and I suspect it’ll grow on fans. It definitely feels different, yet at the same time, familiar. Of course, the early commentary from fans seems to be one of disappointment. And take social media chatter with a grain of salt…. I suspect more people are likely to take to social media to complain rather than praise the new project, but nevertheless, the calls for the “old Tyler” are plenty:
“Sadly, I’m not a fan. Doesn’t sound like Tyler.”
“It’s a hard listen. Something off about the audio.”
“2/10.”
“Meh. Overhyped. Just like any of his albums after ‘Squire.'”
Were some of the comments left online regarding the record?
But my question is, how can you digest a complex album in the few hours since it was released? How can you jump to these conclusions so quickly that it’s “horrible” without letting it sit with you for a few days? Fans were not instantly in love with Can I Take My Hounds To Heaven?, and I am sure many of those fans who had mixed opinions on the record are the ones standing in the pit of his shows, screaming “Way Of The Triune God.”
While there are quite a few haters of the record, there are also people who see the vision and are rocking with Snipe Hunter.
“Album is fun. I dig it, it’s fun as f***. People are gonna be corny and upset because every song doesn’t sound like All Your’n, or Feathered Indians.”
“I think it’s good tbh.”
“It’s a grower not a shower.”
“It’s growing on me the more I listen to it.”
“It should be made mandatory to donate to a charity before we share our opinion on something we didn’t create.”
“It’s good, if you only know Tyler for ‘Feathered Indians’ and ‘Whitehouse Road,’ then yeah, you will say it’s woke dogs***.”
If you don’t like it, don’t listen to it. However, the argument that it does not sound like “old Tyler Childers” needs to be thrown out of the window. Childers has been pushing the boundaries with his last few records, and Snipe Hunter shows that he has no intention of reverting to the sound of Purgatory anytime soon. Hell, you should be happy he recorded “Nose On the Grindstone” and “Oneida,” or any old songs at all.
I’ll be interested to check back in a few weeks to see if people have changed their tune on Snipe Hunter.
Before you go, fire up a few.
“Eatin’ Big Time”
“Getting To The Bottom”
