Dwight Yoakam | Blame the Vain

To me, the perception of today’s country music scene is all-too-tarnished by ready-for-CMT beauty queens and handsome cowboys that have the voice and the look, but are really just the flavor of the month without the depth and sincerity that make real legends.

I’ll be the first to admit that I’m no fan of pop country. It degrades the genre in every imaginable way. My early experiences with country were Elvis, Willie, and Cash, not bad company, but none of who fit under what is today’s pop country. As a kid, growing up in Macon, Ga., I have fond memories of watching “Hee-Haw” with my folks, but with the saturation of “pop” into country, as an adult, I turned a cold shoulder and never looked back ... until now.

Dwight Yoakam’s 18th album in 21 years is a delightfully rambunctious trip down heartbreak lane. Most of the 12 tracks are stories about couples making it to Splitsville without redemption or any hope of saving whats about to be lost, yet musically it couldn’t be more uplifting or invigorating. Call it: cowpunk, rockabilly, easy listening alternative-country, or just simply good ol’ fashion country n’ western with a whole lot of twang, with clever hooks, and simple yet solid song writing. Even still, the album’s greatest asset is Yoakam himself, whose voice is reminiscent of an early 70’s Elvis but with a slightly higher range.

The sequencing of tracks on the album couldn’t be more fitting, the first, “Blame the Vain,” sets the tone but without peaking too early: “I’ll blame it all\On someone else\’Til there’s nobody left\Then I’ll just blame me.” Every song also showcases Yoakam’s skill on acoustic guitar and is a gentle contrast to the heavy Telecaster, which cranks out some strong riffs. Whether Yoakam is speaking from experience, or merely perfecting the art of storytelling, Joe Citizen will relate to every word because his voice possesses a sincerity that makes you want to believe he’s gone through it all and is still standing tall to tell the tale.

The ready-for-radio single on the album is “Intentional Heartache,” and listeners will enjoy hearing references to the Tar Heel state during the song’s opening lines: “She drove south I-95 straight through Carolina\She didn’t use no damn map to find her way\She pulled off on a state route just north of Charlotte\ And took mostly county roads the rest of the day.” It is an upbeat, rowdy tune that can cause any foot to start tapping or make an instant rush to the dance floor.

After my initial listen, “When I First Came Here” became my early favorite. It clocks in as the longest song on the album (5:47), but you’d never know it. The repeating riff and lyrics almost feel like a jam song that might fall towards the end of a live show. In my opinion, it should have been the closing song on the album. Unfortunately, the only real criticism I have is the closing song, “The Last Heart in Line.” This beautifully written heartbreak song is marred by the over-the-top string arrangement. It’s the one song that should have dropped all the flair and just let Yoakam’s soulful country tone and his acoustic guitar do the job. Nevertheless, playing the role of producer for the first time, Yoakam is the one responsible for these decisions, and I’m sure he stands by his unique approach to the song.

Yoakam’s Blame the Vain is a departure from his more recent big-band projects and a rekindling of old country spirits that haven’t been felt since earlier albums. Yoakam concedes that this was a guilty pleasure to make and it’s evident that he and his bare-bones band had fun during the recording process. Take, for example, the strange intro on “She’ll Remember” which starts out with what sounds like Yoakam auditioning for a lead role in a British soap opera over some 80s synthesizers before the band kicks into a honky-tonk rumble, or the weeping standard “Lucky That Way,” where harmonies are plentiful and sadness is the only brew on tap.

Blame the Vain is a must-have for Dwight Yoakam fans, and even if country is not your thing, I wouldn’t be going out on much of a limb to recommend this album if you like steel guitar and juke-joint inspired country rock that ebbs and flows with ballads and all out jams.

The big news is that Dwight Yoakam will be performing at the Ramsey Activity Center Aug. 19 along with special guests, The Charlie Daniels Band. This special concert, which will benefit local charities and Habitat for Humanity, promises to be a rowdy Friday night in Cullowhee. Tickets are already on sale.

(Joe Hooten is a Western Carolina University graduate and a teacher. He can be contacted at thatbeat@hotmail.com.)