Texas has always been a place where we can count on finding excellent treasures in the pop music lexicon; whether it be from the brooding country cowboys who soundtrack the great American plains or the contemplative folk singers of the abstract Austin scene, and the countless garages where rock n’ roll and even the heaviest of metal was born, bred and perfected for us to feast our ears upon. Everything’s big in Texas, and you’d better believe that the music scene and its intense diversity is no exception. Proving to be one of the smartest, most original acts to emerge from the Lone Star State this year is none other than Jeremy Parsons, a countrified singer/songwriter whose brand of Americana is familiar to any of us who love classic country but offers a very progressive, futuristic take on the genre that embodies the raw sound of the American lifestyle.
His new song “Burn This House Down” is an anthem that adequately encompasses the fire of the San Antonio arts community that he’s emerging from and much more in what could easily be viewed as a strong contender for country song of the year.
Country has been evolving a lot lately and alternative rock influences have become a lot more common than they were in the past, which is helping to keep the genre fresh and relevant as pop music has become increasingly more transcendent and free of the restrictions that were created through traditional categorization. Jeremy Parsons embraces so many influences in his style, and “Burn This House Down” in many ways could be viewed as his signature song and a great way for listeners who aren’t that familiar with him to learn what he’s all about as an artist and a performer. There’s no depression that’s driving his reflection, and there isn’t a sense of regret that a lot of fans have come to associate with country’s more successful singles. There is a very loving, easy going sort of inventiveness to his lyrics that are all at once charming and incredibly awe-inspiring when you break them down to their bones.
It’s hard not to like a country singer who isn’t chasing some political agenda or drawing from the same themes that have led the bulk of audiences in pop to consider it a somewhat predictable and unexciting genre since the last little burst of country rock crossover hits in the late 1990’s.
The biggest difference between grassroots country artists like Jeremy Parsons and their big label siblings in the scene is that Jeremy Parsons doesn’t play like he owes anyone anything. His music is steeped heavily in the modern concept of individuality that has helped social networking, digital sound experimentation and streamlined intellectualism to become as big as they each have in the 2000’s. He’s firmly planted in the here and now, and that could go a long way to ensuring his place in the music world as we embark on an intimidating new wave of aesthetical changes that the future will usher in.
Find the track on AMAZON too.
-review by Michael Crowder
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