James McMurtry – Complicated Game

Starting off with the contemplative vintage vignette sounding number “Copper Canteen,” one would easily think that McMurtry had stepped back into his old state of mind without missing a beat, yet with as many people who like this album, it’s neither a step forward, nor on the same well traveled path James has always wandered down. Complicated Game is pretty much what the album’s title implies, a record filled with abundant musical acumen, infused with some smokin’ hot musicians, including Benmont Tench from Tom Petty & The Heart Breakers, Allman Brother’s Derek Trucks, along with Danny Barnes on banjo, all of whom back James’ spitfire vocals with snaky rocked back electric guitar licks on “How’m I Gonna Find You Now,” the album’s only solid rocker, meaning these cats never really cut loose, showing their chops, or infusing the other material with in a more expansive manner.

So just what is Complicated Game? Complicated Game is possessed with a much more downbeat vibe, with McMurtry’s literary knack still in full stride, complete with detailed narrative, filled with relatable wayward characters of dubious nature. While James’ narrative still flows with relentless imagination, it’s not as heady or inspiring as you’ll find on his earlier albums, where here he’s adopted a more personal mode of songwriting and vision. There are times when he comes off sounding rather hokey, especially with an all male choir on “She Loves Me,” yet even so, McMurtry can still turn a phrase. Strangely enough, here you’ll find him investing the release with some stylish diversity, where even in with the song’s lulling manner, will still capture the hearts of many … though longtime fans will find the record to be rather complicated, with their footing feeling rather unsure, based on personal musical preferences from the past. Other than that, there’s an element of precariousness that runs throughout nearly every song, no doubt derived from the more personal actual and real implications, rather than his tall tales derived from crooked observations and half truths.

With the album being rather sonically dense, it’s also more overtly laced with social and political commentary, which of course didn’t go down easy for this listener, but hey, that don’t mean it’s bad, it’s just not for me. It’s just that I’m not really interested in the discontent James brings to light for the way things are going in America, I know how things are going, I live here, preaching from my speakers is not something I find endearing when I want to kick back and forget my troubles. Yes, this is a complicated album, an album for the most part predominately delivered as an evenhanded yet rich acoustic production.

So here I am with the album’s closing song, a song which should take the listener out on a high note with a notion to spin the record again, yet the song “Cutter,” deals with a tragic hurt lover who in his grief beings cutting himself to keep the pain alive, a song filled with sorrow and misfortune, certainly a reality of life, yet certainly leaving me feeling entirely beaten down emotionally, and certainly not the sort of song I would ever wish to hear, yet along as a closing number by anyone.

So yes, this is entirely one of the most complicated albums in my collection, one I’ve not even drawn a single song to save, preferring to let this one slip through my fingers, never to be heard again.

Review by Jenell Kesler