Returning just a year after his last LP, Jared Bill is here to bring his special rendition of anti-folk comedy country to folks across the USA who might fancy something off the beaten path.
Unknown Country is Jared Bill's third record, and it's cut from the same humorous cloth as the previous two. Jared Bill -- which is a stage name and fictional character -- is entirely unleashed in the scope of his songwriting on this LP. On this album, songs about burritos can sit comfortably next to songs about workin' at the hardware store. The artist showcases everyday oddities rarely heard in the modern country sphere, creating something refreshing and smile-inducing.
The album opens with "The Cruise." The song, which is about a man who wins a free cruise at a local pizza joint raffle, is (to say the least) not your average opener for a country LP. The album displays its comedic approach immediately, with Jared Bill singing the LP's first word "pizza" with a dramatic vibrato that gives that delicious concoction of dough, sauce, and cheese a new resonance for music fans across the globe. This may sell the song's appeal all on its own, but it happens to be a rock-solid outback country tune at the same time.
What's not to like?
Though "The Cruise" sets a high bar, Jared Bill follows the song directly with another oddball country number.
"Feeding the Crows" is a wacky twist on some kind of Aesop fable, being about a man whose generosity to a local murder of crows leads to them saving his life. The song ironically contrasts the cinematic instrumentation of an old western with a facetious fable that is told with a deadpan confidence.
After a short interlude, Jared Bill introduces the listener to "No Fiesta."
The song is a somewhat more serious plunge into the lived experience of the working man, employing some of the first instances of electric guitar on the record to drive the point home. He gives us the time-honored fight between unions and the bourgeoisie, singing "But rats will always take the cheese / Lickin' the boots of a loyal company man." The song isn't without humor, however, as the song's main character does in fact nearly succumb to his hunger via a fast food taco joint.
The whole album is a delightfully peculiar and lyrically original odyssey, but things really take a powerful turn with "Praying for a Bowl."
This inspiring tear-jerker is about a woman who manages to become the greatest roller of burritos in her local town. You can feel the suffering, sweat, and pure anguish of her journey as he sings, "The first day they put her on the line / Her stubby fingers / They were not designed to roll and control." This inspiring story of triumph will have listeners determined to get their hands on a burrito by the album's end.
With Unknown Country, the mysterious artist known as Jared Bill declares himself as a major player in the niche sphere of modern satirical country. Few can challenge his sonic throne built on pizza raffle tickets, burritos, and tales from the hardware store. Who's to say what's next for this Providence, Rhode Island-based act.
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