Travis: Following the precedent set by our last conversation (on Massive Attack’s Mezzanine), we are once again diving into an album that neither of us had listened to until about two weeks ago. This week, it’s Decoration Day by Drive-by Truckers. Decoration Day is DBT’s fifth studio album, followup to their critical and commercial breakthrough Southern Rock Opera, and the first DBT album with Jason Isbell as third guitarist and songwriter. Like Southern Rock Opera, Decoration Day received widespread critical acclaim upon its release in 2003, taking its place on many critical top ten lists. Since we’re critical, let’s be critical. Tyler…Decoration Day?
Tyler: Well, I want first to acknowledge my bias as an avowed, at times obsessive fan of Isbell. You introduced me to his solo album Southeastern, back in 2014, which hooked me. Since then I’ve found a place in my heart for each of his LPs, solo and with his band The 400 Unit. Heading into this exercise, then, I was looking past the non-Isbell tracks. I had to give fair shake to the rest of the album beyond “Outfit” and the title track.
That noted, this is a good album. Great? Not sure. But it wasn’t a chore to cycle over these last two weeks.
Travis: We differ!
Tyler: Oh my!
Travis: I’ll get the positives out of the way first. I do not regret listening to this album multiple times, because it brought me the (Isbell-written-and-sung) “Decoration Day,” which I think is really fuckin’ good. It’s well constructed, lyrically interesting, sounds great, is well sung. I also kinda liked the song “Marry Me,” which reminded me of Lucero. As far as the rest of it goes…I know it’s for someone, because a lot of people like it, but it sure as hell ain’t for me.
I was particularly disappointed with the other Isbell song, “Outfit,” which to my ears sounded pretty much like any Nashville southern boy supremacy song for people whose trucks have those extra back wheels that take up a second parking space at the grocery store.
Tyler: Oh, man. I love “Outfit.”
Travis: Well perhaps the joke’s on me on that one, since the Southern man’s got better jokes.
Tyler: “Me and your mama made you in the back/And I sold it to buy her a ring.” C’mon, that’s a good couplet.
Travis: Lots of Country Row bullshit I hate has clever couplets.
To be fair, my dislike of “Outfit” comes from high expectations. My dislike of the rest of the album is entirely on its muddied, half-measure merits.
Tyler: Agree we must to disagree. I’m of the mindset that “Outfit” is a hell of a songwriting achievement, not least for an avowed drunk in his early twenties, making his first appearance alongside members of an established band.
Does this record remind you at all of the Hold Steady? I instantly thought of them, learning you’re not a fan.
Travis: I know that DBT toured with the Hold Steady and I would imagine they share a large cross section of fan base, but this didn’t ever make me think of them, no. I guess the lyrics could be aiming for some of the same high-low culture clash profundity, now that you mention it.
Tyler: Might you prefer high-low Culture Club profundity?
Travis: I probably would!
Even trying to enjoy it for what it is (a southern-inflected hard rock album with a few ballads), rather than what it is not (alt-country/Americana/whatever one is calling it nowadays), it felt rather weak and lightweight. When a band has three guitarists I assume they’re going to have some nifty interplay, a reason for having three guitarists. What I heard was generally sort of a swampy choogle with occasional simple slide parts over top of it. As someone who generally prefers the nimble instrumental agility of the Allman Brothers to the driving boogie of Lynyrd Skynyrd, this album plays as strongly lacking in any sort of virtuosity instrumentally. But it doesn’t go far enough in the other direction, which would also be preferable to my ears: punky, ragged, sloppy, energetic. It’s stuck in the middle. I also find main songwriter Patterson Hood’s voice legit bad.
I kind of feel bad not liking this, because everything I’ve heard and read is that this is a group of good dudes. They tour the south and midwest displaying Black Lives Matter flags on stage. Their lyrics, as clunky as I might find them, have a social consciousness I find endearing. They are an outspoken force for good, generally. I just can’t find anything about 90% of these songs to enjoy.
Tyler: So you’re going thumbs-up on this one, then?
Travis: Boyz-II-Men, ABC, DBT…the east coast family
Tyler: I suppose you’re calling Decoration Day another bad creation?
Travis: heyoooo
I feel I’ve said enough about the bad. I had a lot of snide one-liners about how to describe this album but they’re pretty unfair, so I’d like to turn it over to you for the other side of the coin.
Tyler: Well, one thing I’ll give you is that most of the songs don’t put me on my ass. I love Isbell’s, “Outfit” a slightly more accessible listen than “Decoration Day,” both worthy of praise. The rest, on the other hand, are a bit of a blend to my ears. That’s not necessarily a criticism—I do think this is a solid record. There’s a place for atmosphere, and a lot of these bad boys probably crush live. “Hell No I Ain’t Happy” has a distinctive lurch, for better or worse, and scattered tunes like “When The Pin Hits The Shell” have lyrical hooks or licks that set them apart. But mood is the thing here, loose-limbed southern-fried rock, right down to Hood’s wobbly vocals. Is that enough to be transcendent for me? Probably not. But I’m not hating it.
Travis: I wonder if I might like some of the album’s rockers more with clearer production that better separates the guitars.
After Southern Rock Opera, I imagine they had enough budget for good production, and the sound is a choice, but I can’t make out what’s going on a lot of the time.
Tyler: To me it sounds like they hit record and let ‘er rip.
Travis: I definitely like all of Isbell’s 400 Unit output and officially solo output a lot more than this (excepting “Decoration Day”). And honestly I don’t find a ton of continuity from what DBT does generally to his work after leaving. It’s more singer-songwriter, more country.
A lot less choogle.
Tyler: I can see some of this energy in Isbell’s occasional pure rock songs, your “Cumberland Gap,” your “Be Afraid.” But there’s…not polish to those songs, that’s not the right word. But they’re more composed, more strikingly produced.
Travis: Any other highlights from the album you’d like to shout out?
Tyler: It sounds like disrespect, but there wasn’t much by way of standouts on my end. I liked what I heard but most of the time didn’t fall in love.
Travis: Word. Feels like we can wrap it up. I’ll reiterate recommendation for Jason Isbell’s work outside of DBT, particularly Here We Rest and Southeastern. Any other thoughts for people who liked the ol’ Double-D?
Tyler: Check out Whiskeytown! Oh, wait.
Writers' Loom 