Well, this was certainly unexpected. Though only an album and a lead single into his career, Tyler Farr has carved a signature sound that is either A) Textured country rock or B) Emotional, neo-traditional cuts. The preview track for his upcoming album Suffer In Peace, “Withdrawals”, falls into neither category. It is without a doubt a pop-rock song, and yet it works for Farr.
Now, just because something is not “country” does not make it bad. In fact, in some cases, it can actually be better than the vast majority of the stuff played on country radio, and “Withdrawals” is a shining example of that. It paints the story of a man struggling to get over a recent break-up, comparing the feeling to that of substance withdrawals. In some cases this could come off as quite corny and borderline pathetic, but with his signature rasp, Farr is able to undoubtedly sell the lyric. You can’t help but feel legitimately bad for the man depicted here, just because the performance is so damn heartfelt. Production wise, it doesn’t really fit on country radio, even by today’s standards, but still sounds good as an all-genre record, and the melody does well to carry the song and make it fit for repeated listens.
“Withdrawals” may not be traditional, or even modern day country music, but it is damn good, and definitely worth a listen. If this is a preview of the quality we can expect from his upcoming album, I will most certainly be picking up a copy.
‘Suffer In Peace’ hits stores April 28th. “Withdrawals” is now available on iTunes.
Check out: Tyler Farr Announces Track Listing for New Album “Suffer In Peace”
Check out Tyler’s current single “A Guy Walks Into a Bar”, which is top 10 and climbing at country radio, on iTunes.