[rating=9.00]
Bobby Bare Jr. practically oozes swagger, and on his first new record in nearly 4 years, his sound is more defined than ever. Undefeated brings his effortlessly cool vocals to the forefront amidst his seamless hybrid of country and alt rock.
At times quirky like the country-folk and oh-so-dark banjo pluck-er “My Baby Took My Baby Away”; then hinting at a retro 70s vibe with the smooth keyboards and “ooh la las” of “If She Cared”; then turning into thrashing pop rock with the amazing head-banging sounds and addictive electric guitar riff of the driving, melodic standout “Don’t Stand at the Stove”. Bobby Bare Jr. is never predictable, but always delivers.
Undefeated is mostly a collection of songs about failed love and veers into dark territory. The almost electronica vein of the eerily sad “The Elegant Imposter” is a totally different direction for Bare Jr. and will take you by surprise in the best way. But just as soon as he’s tearing at your heartstrings, he’s turning heartbreak into lackadaisical fun with the ultimate breakup sing-a-long anthem “Blame Everybody (But Yourself)”, and you’re so grateful for his infectious enthusiasm in the name of lost love. “You loved me so little/I did not notice that you had stopped”, he sings in that world-weary way of his, but you’ll just be stuck on that tinkling piano melody and harmonious, horn-punctuated “ba da ba ba”.
Bare Jr.’s band Young Criminals’ Starvation League is back with him this time, creating whole, complete worlds out of his criminally on-point songwriting with subtle back-up harmony vocals, organ and piano, to name a few. “Don’t Wanna Know” is a perfect example of the ways in which the band adds such a complex, multi-dimensional sound, incorporating layers upon layers of vocals with clean electric guitars and a slowly building tempo.
Young Criminals’ Starvation League helps Bare Jr. attain that gorgeous balance of maintaining his country roots while also delving into other genres, like pop, rock and alternative. Title track “Undefeated” achieves this so well, too, teetering the line of a vintage pop doo-wop and a classic country tune.
What makes Bobby Bare Jr. so special, and what Undefeated captures, is his ability to cross all lines and maintain a cohesive sound that, most importantly, sounds like him and him alone. He can write just as vividly and poignantly about a messy toddler (“My Baby Took My Baby Away”) as he can about the dark side of fame (the rock and roll gem “The Big Time”).
He is a rare artist whose personality is so evident in his music, and a song like the insanely badass “North of Alabama by Morning” is a major indicator, incorporating gritty Southern rock with bluesy country to create a satisfying concoction, as warm as whiskey and as weathered as a broken heart.
