Cracker: Countrysides : Music Reviews : Rolling Stone

Album Reviews

Cracker road-tested the eight twangy covers on Countrysides, with a 2002 series of honky-tonk shows under the name Ironic Mullet. Thankfully, the only ironic thing about the album is its unblinking lack of irony. The band sounds relaxed and swinging on reverent country waltz takes of boozin' and tokin' songs by Merle Haggard ("The Bottle Let Me Down"), Ray Wylie Hubbard ("Up Against the Wall Redneck Mother"), Hank Williams Jr. ("Family Tradition") and Bruce Springsteen (the meth cookers' lament "Sinaloa Cowboys"). The broad song selection rises above novelty, even if the album isn't much beyond a kitschy keepsake for hardcore fans. The lone original, "Ain't Gonna Suck Itself," has leader David Lowery venting at the former Virgin Records bosses who dumped him. In case you miss his bitter point, a Lowery directed mini-movie about the making of the album hammers it home unnecessarily. Say what you will about him, but at least Lowery picks an interesting soundtrack for a session of crying in his beer.

GIL KAUFMAN
(October 14, 2003)