Blitzen Trapper - All Across This Land

There was never any doubt that the eighth studio album from Blitzen Trapper would enter my collection. I have followed their career avidly since their debut album in 2003 and have previously documented my thoughts that they improve with each album - no easy matter when you are prolific enough to release eight albums in twelve years.


The announcement from the band concerning 'All Across This Land' stated "We really hope you guys enjoy this one - we think it's our best yet". Quite a bold statement, but would the album live up to that proclamation I wondered?

Well, it is certainly very different from the previous release 'VII' which experimentally combined elements of futuristic hip-hop with the more usual country-rock fare. I loved it and said as much in these very pages. http://eddie-graham.blogspot.co.uk/2013/10/blitzen-trapper-vii.html
The process of improving with each album continued, in my opinion at least.

'All Across This Land' is by contrast a much more straight forward country rock album in fact at times it veers almost into 'indie-rock' territory such as on 'Mystery and Wonder'. Nowhere do we hear the fusion of rock and old-timey backwoods music that was evident on tracks such as 'Texaco' (from 'Blitzen Trapper'), or 'Dirty Pearls' (from 'Field Rexx') or 'Country Caravan' (from 'Wild Mountain Nation') 

Nor do we get the mix of futuristic electronics and post-punk rock that was present on tracks like 'Cunning Revolution' or 'Cracker Went Down' (from 'Blitzen Trapper') or 'Love I Exclaim' (from Field Rexx') or indeed 'Wild Mountain Nation' from the album of the same name.

There are no really gorgeous melodies such as '40 Stripes (from 'Field Rexx') or 'Not Your Lover' (from 'Furr') or 'Futures and Folly' (from 'Wild Mountain Nation') or even 'Below the Hurricane' (from 'Destroyer of the Void).

Eric Earley is a wonderful storytelling songwriter as was evident from 'Black River Killer' or 'Furr' (both from the album 'Furr') or 'The Man Who Would Speak True' (from 'Destroyer of the Void) but on this latest album the lyrics are more simplistic and consequently in my view, less interesting. Perhaps 'Cadillac Road' and the album closer 'Across The River' come closest but the fact that Earley's vocals are occasionally a little submerged in the mix does not make it easy to become immersed in the stories.

Even on more recent releases such as 'American Goldwing', Blitzen Trapper continued to push boundaries but it is just possible that the only thing the new release will push is the patience of the loyal following who yearn for some of that spiky brilliance that was all to evident on earlier albums. Earley has said of the new work that for inspiration he delved back into what influenced them to become musicians in the first place and he cites REM, the Replacements and Pavement. Perhaps he should have just delved into his own back catalogue. Possibly the change to a rockier sound has been made to beef up the live performances but on the evidence of last year's free download album 'Live in Portland', the band need no additional help in that area. They are a great live act.

With 'All Across This Land' Blitzen Trapper have become more mainstream and in so doing may well attract more commercial success. However for me, some of that early magic has gone. There are many bands around who do this kind of material just as well if not better. What set Blitzen Trapper apart, was that edginess that is sadly lacking here. 'All Across This Land' is an enjoyable album for sure, but less interesting than their previous offerings. If the band have now left that adventurous spirit behind them, then they have still left a wonderful body of work for which I will always be grateful. Personally however, I hope that there is more to come.