Grayson Capps: The Weight of the World (RPF Records / Royal Potato Family) – Album Review
Reviewed by Harry Kaplan
This is Grayson Capps’ first album of original material in nine years, and as the title states, it is worth the wait. If Grayson were a baseball player, he would be a five-tool player. In baseball, that means you can hit for average, hit for power, run, throw, and field. Grayson’s five tools are honky tonk, country, rock, progressive, and a little psychedelia. He moves between them like he has been playing every position his whole life.
We should begin at the beginning of the list, and that means honky tonk. What Will Be, Will Be comes out of the box swinging for the fences on the first pitch, with enough twang for at least three songs. Corky Hughes, who handles all the guitar duties on this release, plays a theremin that sounds similar to a pedal steel but may emit even more twang per square inch than a steel, aka a slip iron. Oh, the twang is off the chain. Grayson’s voice doesn’t have your prototypical outlaw country/honky tonk styling, but that different flavor is welcome. Some may say the twang is too strong, but I disagree. It is impossible to have too much twang. And the capper (no pun intended) is Symone French, whose backing harmonies tie it all together like a package anyone would be thrilled to open on Christmas morning.
It is clear that Grayson and company are comfortable in the studio and know the ropes, but even with that experience, they are still able to experiment and create songs that are not formula driven. Take News, for example. The song starts as a pretty typical blues-based rock number, singing about time and the universal question, “How much time have I got?” Everything is going along as expected with verses, choruses, etc., and then around the 3:40 mark, a bridge is inserted and the song completely transforms into something out of Meat Loaf’s Bat Out of Hell catalogue before returning to the original structure at 4:15. The transitions and musicianship are flawless, and the parts blend together like a tightly woven wool sweater. It all fits perfectly, and nothing feels out of place.
These are musicians, producers, and sound engineers at the absolute top of their craft. A shout-out to drummer Roy Durand, who is the glue that holds this song together so it feels like a single entity and not a collection of individual components. The production and mixing give every part room to be heard while keeping the whole thing together, and that carries through the entire album. The production is handled by Ryan Avinger, Grayson Capps, and Corky Hughes, with Avinger also recording and mixing and Dan Bacigalupi mastering.
Even when Grayson delves into rock and psychedelia, the country roots are always present. Rainbow Skies is a six-and-a-half-minute psychedelic experience. Roots rock is still very apparent in this number, further proof that country is never far away. Again, the production and sound are great, along with all the other elements. The song starts with four bars that sound like an offshoot of the theme from Midnight Cowboy. It concludes with some strong vocal parts by Symone French, reminiscent of the female vocals on The Great Gig in the Sky.
Clearly, the gap between original releases did not harm the quality of the music in any way. And as they say, age is just a number and largely unimportant. What is important is that this release is infectious, heady, and it rocks. The quality and craftsmanship come through, whether Grayson and company are laying on the twang or taking a turn into psychedelia. They cover a lot of ground without losing their footing or making any of it feel forced. Nine years is a long time, but an album like this gives you plenty to enjoy instead of worrying about the calendar. Maybe waiting is a good thing and patience is a virtue. Grayson has certainly made a convincing case for both.
Listen and buy The Weight of the World here
