![]() ![]() “Social Skills,” addresses the problems of those who need a little liquid courage to follow their heart. Continuing to chase his bliss on “Gasoline,” he captures the feel of Guy Clark’s “Worry Be Gone,” as he chases the more combustible joys of love. I got a piano I can sing to.” Recalling the simple joys of playing piano in his childhood home in Bearden, OK he reminds us all to take time to do the things that bring joy to our lives. Again, building to a crescendo, he sings, “Everybody needs something they can cling to, a place for happiness to bring you. It starts a little sad from the get-go and gets happier as it evolves.” And of course, the song follows the lyrics. So where can you possibly go from there? How about invoking the spirit of Leonard Cohen’s “Hallelujah,” on the song, “Bearden 1645.” Like a baffled David composing for his Lord, Fullbright sings, “This chord progression is my favorite because it always resolves. ![]() From the chord progression to the lyrics, to the voice, to the crescendo of the chorus, this is as good as the craft of songwriting gets. Part Billy Joel, part Bruce Springsteen, with a healthy dose of Tony Bennett, if it’s possible to be raspy and silky at the same time Fullbright achieves it. And Fullbright’s voice hits you like a velvet hammer as he sings it. There have been whole movies that had less character development than this one song. A stark commentary on humanity in general, it shows that the things we think we need are very seldom what we actually need and that when we lie, the only person we’re lying to is ourselves. From a simple song about a man asking for help, it turns into a psychological case study of a man seeking more of the very thing that’s destroying him. I could walk a straight line.” But instead of asking for deliverance, he pleads, “God grant me whiskey, and I won’t lie no more.” And that line changes everything. And he freely admits his weakness, singing, “If I could swallow pride like I learned to swallow wine, I’d be doing so much better. You take a sip of shame.” With a pleading tone of desperation, you expect him to pray for strength to overcome his weakness. The song starts with drums, smoldering Blues guitar, and grand piano chords as Fullbright sings, “Better days are coming, but the nights are all the same. The title track pulls you in and never lets go. He crafts timeless testaments to humanity’s struggle to find itself and its relationship with the Divine. A songwriter’s songwriter, Fullbright works with chords and lyrics like Michelangelo worked with marble. The former AMA Emerging Artist nominee picks up right where he left off on 2014’s critically acclaimed, Songs. ![]() Oklahoma singer/songwriter John Fullbright returns after an eight-year hiatus with his majestic new album, The Liar. ![]()
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