Music Review: Marty Stuart’s new album ‘Altitude’ is vibrant country inspired by the Byrds
Advertisement
Read this article for free:
or
Already have an account? Log in here »
We need your support!
Local journalism needs your support!
As we navigate through unprecedented times, our journalists are working harder than ever to bring you the latest local updates to keep you safe and informed.
Now, more than ever, we need your support.
Starting at $15.99 plus taxes every four weeks you can access your Brandon Sun online and full access to all content as it appears on our website.
Subscribe Nowor call circulation directly at (204) 727-0527.
Your pledge helps to ensure we provide the news that matters most to your community!
To continue reading, please subscribe:
Add Brandon Sun access to your Free Press subscription for only an additional
$1 for the first 4 weeks*
- Enjoy unlimited reading on brandonsun.com
- Read the Brandon Sun E-Edition, our digital replica newspaper
*Your next Free Press subscription payment will increase by $1.00 and you will be charged $20.95 plus GST for four weeks. After four weeks, your payment will increase to $24.95 plus GST every four weeks.
Read unlimited articles for free today:
or
Already have an account? Log in here »
Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 18/05/2023 (1219 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.
“Altitude,” Marty Stuart and His Fabulous Superlatives (Snakefarm)
The geekiest fan would be hard-pressed to match Marty Stuart’s vast memorabilia collection, which will be displayed as part of his ambitious country music complex being built in his hometown of Philadelphia, Mississippi.
But Stuart wants to ensure the genre he loves isn’t a mere museum piece. No country artist is better at bringing the past into the present than the Country Music Hall of Famer, who approaches the music with passion, earned authenticity and enormous chops.
“Altitude,” his first album in more than five years, was inspired by the Byrds’ groundbreaking cosmic country of the late 1960s. As such, it sounds like a throwback, but also entirely fresh. The set is an intoxicating mix of guitar reverb and tremolo, bent notes, chiming 12-string and keening harmonies in support of Stuart, whose robust tenor is filled with wit and wisdom.
The 13 original tunes are as vibrant as the colorful suits worn by Stuart’s band, the Fabulous Superlatives, whose amusingly hyperbolic name is somehow an understatement. Guitarist Kenny Vaughan, drummer Harry Stinson and bassist Chris Scruggs match Stuart’s guitar virtuosity, with thrilling results.
They set the tone with “Lost Byrd Space Train (Scene 1),” a two-minute instrumental opener built on twin guitars, and the celebratory boogie of “Country Star.” “Sitting Alone” echoes not only the Byrds but the Beatles, while “Vegas” summons the ghosts of Gram Parsons and Clarence White.
Stuart occasionally backs off the throttle. He plays sitar and sings about social distancing on the trippy ballad “Space,” while “The Sun Is Quietly Sleeping” pairs twang with a handsome string-section arrangement.
A psychedelic guitar solo elevates the scorcher “Time to Dance,” and then comes a quiet spiritual that begins with the lament, “Woke up hurting,” before angelic harmonies supply relief. As a country classicist, Stuart finds comfort in Sunday morning as the redeeming encore to Saturday night.
___
More AP music reviews here: https://apnews.com/hub/music-reviews