Album Review – Ryan Bingham’s “Fear & Saturday Night”
The forces at play that decide which artists make it, which artists become superstars, which artists struggle for their entire careers, and which artists completely fail and move on to other things are many times adjudicated simply by happenstance. Who gets their chance in music is such an imperfect science that talent itself—which is so hard to define on its own—or even personal drive, are notches below in importance to chance meetings with influential music business people, or exposure to the right personalities that have the ability to launch an artist. The appetite of the public at a given moment for what an artist is offering for consumption can also play a huge factor.
In 2008, when Ryan Bingham and Hayes Carll made up the new generation of Lost Highways Records’ artist stable, the future looked very bright for the two songwriters. They both had that grit and old soul flavor to their music, the support of the Texas scene, and a seemingly endless road of possibilities before them. Bingham’s ceiling was raised even higher when 2010 saw his song “The Weary Kind” from the soundtrack of the movie Crazy Heart winning a Golden Globe, then an Oscar for Best Original Song at the 82nd Academy Awards.
But after finishing out his three-album development deal with Lost Highway, Bingham gleefully grabbed the reigns of his career and launched his own Axster Bingham record label (Axter is his wife), excited to stretch his wings after being under control of the “corporate record world” as he put it. 2012’s independently-released Tomorrowland saw Bingham assume the producer’s seat that had been filled on his previous projects by T Bone Burnett and former Black Crowes guitarist Marc Ford. Both these famous names helped cultivate Bingham’s early “classic rock for a new generation” vibe, while Tomorrowland, though solid, seemed a little bit too anxious to strike out creatively instead of honing in on Bingham’s ability to convey something authentic.
Creative freedom is not always as fruitful as some artists feel it will be when they claim to not have it, and though Bingham’s career remained formative, it also felt a little adrift for the last year or two. The big Academy Award win hadn’t catapulted him, partly because it felt like Ryan didn’t want it to. The arm swung, but he held tight to the sides.
To prepare for his new album Fear and Saturday Night, Bingham sequestered himself in an Airstream trailer in the California mountains without electricity or phone service, and drew inspiration from his tale-riddled and troubled life performing in rodeos and watching his mother die from alcoholism and his father commit suicide. Yes, pretty sunny stuff. The result was a re-imagining of his former musical self, not wholly different, but reinvigorated from the original voice which made him a promising young upstart in 2007.
Fear and Saturday Night might be Bingham’s best album yet. This is an album of all peaks and no valleys. As the perfect experience for the classic rock buff hiding in every country and Americana fan, Bingham scrapes the grime off the sweaty denim of 70’s Stones and douses it with a little Dylan poetry set to grooves left in the residue of a Faces studio session and articulated with riffs that awaken the spirit of a freer time in music. Though more interpreting than original musically, Bingham puts a personal stamp on the material by bringing his own experiences to the lyricism, while the infectiousness of the guitar licks make just about everything hard to hate.
The first song of the record “Nobody Knows My Trouble” unfolds like a Wikipedia entry of Ryan’s personal life, yet is just as much poetry as when he takes the spirit of Dylan and instills it into the soaring epic of “Island In The Sky.” If there was one essential track, it might be “Radio,” which is right out of the Ronnie Wood / Keith Richards playbook for riff swapping. “Top Shelf Drug” takes the approach of making you succumb to harsh tones until you’re convinced they’re cool, while fans of songwriting will gravitate more to tracks such as “Snow Falls in June,” or the biographical “My Diamond Is Too Rough.” “Gun Fightin’ Man” which finishes this installment of Bingham music is both intricate in its composition, but gritty and unraveled like the rest of this very loose and live album effort.
It’s hard to not think of Ryan Bingham as new because he comes from the next generation of Americana performers. But he’s proven over the last eight years, he’s not an upstart anymore, he’s a stalwart of the subgenre.
Fear and Saturday Night is quite enjoyable.
Two guns up.
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January 21, 2015 @ 7:14 pm
Definitely his best album since Mescalito, though I still give that a slight edge over this. Great stuff regardless.
January 21, 2015 @ 7:19 pm
Just ordered it!
January 21, 2015 @ 7:27 pm
No matter what else comes out this year, this album has to be an early front runner for SCM Album of the Year.
January 21, 2015 @ 7:35 pm
Could very well be the best album of the year
January 21, 2015 @ 7:50 pm
Ever since I discovered his Mescalito, I’ve been a huge fan. Easily top 5 of my favorite artists. All his stuff is solid at worst and brilliant at its best. Even his pre-Lost Highway stuff is good.
I’ve listened to this album once so far, and will listen to it at work tomorrow but my first inclination is that its pretty good. I’m very confident it will get better with each listen.
If there’s an Americana or Roots music fan or something that can’t quite commit to Country. Try Ryan. He will not disappoint.
happenstance huh?
January 22, 2015 @ 10:16 pm
Just a follow up after I’ve listened to it now a few times. I will disagree with most people on here that its his best work since Mescalito. There are a few really good songs, although the Bingham stuff I like is heavy on the banjo, mandolin, and slide guitar. They’re all fairly absent. That doesn’t mean the songs aren’t up to par, it’s just that my ears like those instruments subtlety added. So the album comes off a little more folk, Dylan-ish rock than Country or Americana.
January 23, 2015 @ 12:38 am
It is produced by Jim Scott who has previously worked with Wilco and Tom Petty. So it is more of a folk-rock, country-rock album in the vien of “Wildflowers” than a country album (I don’t have a clue what passes as Americana anymore). Nothing may ever compare to Mescalito, but this the most even, focused collection of songs Bingham has released since his debut.
January 21, 2015 @ 8:12 pm
Glad to see Bingham come back to form. The last two albums have been a bit disappointing, especially after the brilliance of his first two albums. I am especially fond of Bingham because he channels the best of late 60’s / early 70’s country, rock, and folk, while being fresh and exciting. This is especially true on his sophomore album, Roadhouse Sun. I am anxious to receive the new album, so I can hear the rest.
January 21, 2015 @ 9:14 pm
Back in 07, I was so smitten with Bingham it cost me a job! My company was going under and HR had scheduled me an interview with the company taking over distribution for our soon-to-be ex-customers. However, the interview was scheduled for the day after I was supposed see Bingham at the Thunderbird Cafe in Pittsburgh. No problem. After I work, I drove from Detroit to Pittsburgh and back after the show. When I got back to Detroit, I laid my head down at 6:30 am for a short nap, but didn’t get up at 10 am – my set interview time. So, I never got the opportunity to see if being unemployed in Amarillo felt the same as it did in Detroit. But, I did get Bingham to sign his setlist which has been hanging on my fridge for 7 years!
In my opinion, “Fear & Saturday NIght” is Bingham’s best effort since “Mescalito.” The pairing of Bingham and decorated producer, Jim Scott, was brilliant. I haven’t been this excited about Bingham’s music since it cost me a job.
January 21, 2015 @ 9:29 pm
I just bought this album and I love it. Fuck you bro-country.
January 21, 2015 @ 9:41 pm
Anxiously awaiting this album to come in for me. Placed my order for it, but haven’t received it yet.
Really liked “Mescalito,” “Roadhosue Sun,” and “Junky Star,” but could not get myself to like “Tomorrowland” despite multiple efforts. Still looking forward to this one, though.
January 21, 2015 @ 10:31 pm
Just gave it a first listen. Guaranteed it’ll get a lot more spins for a long time to come. Damn its good.
January 21, 2015 @ 10:49 pm
Hands down my favorite offering by Bingham. Love Mescalito, but I played it to death over the years. Glad to have a replacement to have on regular rotation for a lot of time to come.
January 21, 2015 @ 10:52 pm
Trigger, you are a damned fine writer. I have been patiently waiting for Bingham to come back around. Will order FaSN now. If it can stand with Mescalito, I am happy. Did get to see Bingham open for Willie at ACL two years ago. Not as good as the Rogue Theater in Grants Pass but I can’t complain can I?
January 22, 2015 @ 12:17 am
Damn good album. It was the first album I listened to this morning, and have listened to twice more since.
January 22, 2015 @ 5:57 am
Nice intro paragraph. Can’t wait to give the album a listen.
January 22, 2015 @ 6:44 am
Excellent album, excellent review. I’ve only been through two spins so far, but it is strong from start to finish. As you said, a little something for everyone.
January 22, 2015 @ 7:37 am
I first saw Bingham at Steamboat in 2006. We were waiting for Jason Boland and this scraggly guy (Bingham) with his two buddies took the stage as the opener, blasted ‘Sunrise’, ‘Dollar A Day’ and ‘Big Country Sky and blew the whole room away. That was back when he was ‘Ryan Bingham & The Dead Horses’. Been a big fan ever since.
After a first list, I agree that this album seems to be his best since Mescalito.
January 22, 2015 @ 8:40 am
Excellent.
January 22, 2015 @ 9:22 am
Agree completely. This is a really, really good record. I didn’t have much in the way of expectations, and wasn’t a huge Bingham fan. But it is the best record I have heard in a long time.
January 22, 2015 @ 12:03 pm
Thanks for the review, Trig.
I will be sure to pick this up over the weekend.
Hemingway once said that to write well, one must have truly experienced great pain (or much more artful words to that effect).
It sounds like that is the case with Ryan.
Sharing and baring one’s soul go a long way with me.
It draws me in like a moth to a flame.
January 22, 2015 @ 12:03 pm
I didn’t love it. Voice is sounding gruff, and songs kind just run together. I like his older stuff. I’m a fan what he is capable of, but this one isn’t jumping out at me. maybe I’ll try it again.
January 22, 2015 @ 6:25 pm
Absolutely loving the album.His rough voice makes every word sound like poetry,it’s all about the delivery and Ryan delivers.Two thumbs up indeed
January 23, 2015 @ 5:58 am
That voice. Wow. Like Dylan circa Love & Theft crossed with Lou Reed circa Loaded and dropped an octave. My description probably doesn’t do it justice.
January 23, 2015 @ 5:36 pm
Upon first listen, it sounds like it might be a step back from Tomorrowland, both lyrically and musically. I for one loved the the fact that he attempted to “strike out creatively” with that album, but I also just happen to think he conveyed nothing but authenticity on that record. Fear and Saturday Night doesn’t sound bad by any means, but some of the lyrics and arrangements seem a little bland. I’m not hearing a lot of soul-baring. Maybe it just hasn’t connected yet.
January 24, 2015 @ 10:06 am
I’ve been looking forward to this album for a while. My first intro to Bingham was Mescalito which is one of my top albums in the last 15 years. Just when I thought that album couldn’t he couldn’t possibly have an album as good as Mescalito I heard Junky Star. Both albums are classics IMO. The first line of Yesterday’s blues gets me every time. Bingham is a treasure and I look forward to listening to this album in it’s entirety.
December 28, 2015 @ 7:57 am
Am I the only fan completely blown away by Tomorrowland?