Heartland rocker Ron Pope’s new album, ‘American Man, American Music’, lives up to its title.
Nashville-based platinum-selling Pope will already be familiar to many of AUK’s readership, having previously been featured over several years, including an excellent lockdown mini-gig back in 2020. However, Pope’s track record demonstrates not just impressive singer/songwriter chops, but also equally impressive business skills. Pope set up Brooklyn Basement Records in 2015 with his wife and manager Blair Clark, and alongside establishing Pope’s career as a highly respected artist, their label and management company has gone from strength to strength with several other big names on their roster. Their story is of a hard-working couple initially carving out a successful career in the industry through endless touring as a properly independent outfit. It’s a fabulous tale in itself and well worth checking out if you get the chance. They are the real deal.
The hard work has very much paid off, and Pope has built up a massive audience for his music. He has especially benefitted from a significant online presence that’s resulted in huge streaming figures across his impressive back catalogue. It’s safe to say that his audience is not going to be disappointed with the new album.
‘American Man, American Music’ is testament to Pope’s long history of touring his way to success. For better or worse, he’s been a lot of places and seen a lot of things and that colourful journey underpins this album. Written and produced in Nashville by Pope, these ten songs delve into his relationships with family members, friendships and his wider community, including some of the many people he’s met on his travels, their sometimes-titanic struggles and Pope’s deep feelings for them all.
There’s nothing particularly new or experimental going on here, just very well-observed lyrics and expertly crafted songs. Pope has surrounded himself with outstanding musicians, and every track features something from the assembled players that will delight your ears. The first twenty seconds of the opening song, ‘Nobody’s Gonna Make It Out Alive’ perfectly sets the tone for the whole album: a powerful clatter of drums, a mandolin run, a scrape of fiddle, a muscular guitar riff and Pope’s fine, country-tinged voice that somehow never seems far from having a gentle humour underpinning it. The next track, ‘I Gotta Change (Or I’m Gonna Die)’, does a fine job of demonstrating Pope’s gentler side, dealing with a working man’s struggle to keep working and providing for his family while realising he’s trapped into relying on endless painkillers to keep on going.
Other standout tracks include the bigger country-rock productions ‘Klonopin Zombies’, and ‘Mama Drove a Mustang’, the more laid-back ‘In the Morning With the Coffee On’, the Americana-infused ‘I Pray I’ll Be Seeing You Soon’, and the acoustic intimacy of the closing track, ‘The Life In Your Years’.
This is a country-rock star who has already worked his way up to the top tier and on the evidence of this album, his trajectory is set to keep on rising.
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