Fixin' To Die
G. Love
Fixin' To Die
First, a little history. Personal history. Back in 1995, when I was at my idiot best, Garrett "G. Love" Dutton was my guy. Between his hit singles "Cold Beverages" and "Baby's Got Sauce," I thought the lanky singer/songwriter was the hippest dude on the planet, singing college-friendly songs about women and hanging out with the bros that leaned on elements of hip-hop, blues and folk. Then, in 1997, still an idiot, I flipped when his Yeah, It's That Easy was released. Flipped. By the time his 1999 album, Philadelphonic, hit the shelves I was a college dummy at Indiana University - the then-capitol to all jam-friendly music (which G strangely fit into at the time). I went to the guy's shows, tried to get him to hang out with me, knew all the songs by heart, etc. Ugh. Listening back to those records now, I kinda/sorta see why a few people made fun of me back in those salad days. That said, those records have some seriously fun songs on them.
When I spotted G's latest record, Fixin' To Die, at the record store a few days ago, I just had to check it out. The artwork was very cool and, from what I'd read, G was starting up something of a second stage of his career, recording here with The Avett Brothers. Those Bros, who are all the rage these days, are supposedly huge G fans, so much so that they've compared him to Bob Dylan (ha! dummies!). Well, they're putting their money where their mouths are, not only playing as G's backup band on the record, but producing the album, appearing in his videos and touring with him. Other connections to consider: 1) G helped "discover" Jack Johnson, who now puts out G's records on his Brushfire Records; 2) G is playing twang-y, timeless music this time around, with some classic covers thrown in for good measure; 3) G seems determined to appeal to a new crowd, almost completely dropping his rap-influenced vocal style in favor of a more straightforward singing approach.
On the record's opener, a stomp-y cover of Bukka White's excellent "Fixin' To Die," G sounds more like Jack White than Jack White himself has for years. It takes a little getting used to, but the song is, no doubt, a big winner. The Bonnaroo crowd will love it, and I wouldn't be a bit surprised if it ends up in a TV commercial or movie. G also covers one of White's all-time favorites, Blind Willie McTell, on the song "You've Got to Die" to great effect. These blues-y selections work for G, as he has long been a skilled slide guitar player, as well as a strong harmonica player and quite the howler. Two more covers pop up over the album's 13-song set, including Paul Simon's "50 Ways to Leave Your Lover" (not so great) and Lou Reed's classic "Pale Blue Eyes" (also not the best). Of the nine originals, G is at his best when he's leaving his longstanding hip-hop influence behind, here focusing on a singer/songwriter style more than he ever has before. "The Road" is a solid song that will surely appeal to Avett fans while "Katie Miss," a soft, gentle acoustic ballad, will certainly appeal to the Jack Johnson fans out there. Not a bad route to go for the G.
According to some recent interviews, there might not be an Avett Brothers had G never been signed. Jack Johnson has said similar things, as has Jason Mraz. Ben Harper, Donavon Frankenreiter, Xavier Rudd and Eric Hutchinson have also all cited G as a big influence/inspiration. So why then, I have to wonder, hasn't G ever had any big mainstream success? He's a charismatic, good looking dude who makes great pop songs (check out "Stepping Stones," "Numbers" or "Kiss and Tell" for proof), so why hasn't he seen much attention since his "Cold Beverage" era? Well, maybe this new album will change that. There's a song on the new record called "Milk and Sugar" that could do well as a novelty cut, even if it's one of the record's lesser works. A twangy track called "Walk On" stands out in a major way, again made ready for the Avett and Johnson crowd. "Home," too, has that appeal.
Surprised as I am to say it, Fixin' To Die is a heck of a solid record. There are moments here and there where G falls back into old habits, but, with the Avett's guidance, he has released what I would call his best record yet. There are a few lesser cuts but, for the most part, Fixin' plays through like a great summer/fall record. Great vocals, great songwriting, great hooks and instrumentation, front to back (save for on those two iffy covers). G's a good guy who deserves good things; if this record doesn't do it for him, I'm afraid nothing will. 8.25/10
Written by G. William Locke