Joe Nichols Sings From Both Sides of His Mouth in “Freaks Like Me”
Joe Nichols is fed up with all of the country music that doesn’t sound country and says the same things over and over dammit, and he’s aiming to do something about it. You know . . . like release a song that references the same things all the others songs he’s complaining about do.
I guess the good news is Joe Nichols isn’t breaking out in three piece suits and doing his best Bruno Mars impression like many of his compadres in mainstream country. Such are the little victories we have to celebrate these days when we get them. But his new single and the rhetoric surrounding it is a little confounding. Joe Nichols has always been sort of a dichotomy, yet one who veered much farther towards the traditional side of country, yet would compromise when asked to release a big radio single to sell albums. With “Freaks Like Me,” it appears he’s trying to do both.
“The more traditional you get, the more pushing the envelope you are,” Nichols told Rolling Stone recently. “Here I am being a bit of a freak by doing something that was completely normal 20 years ago. We’ve gotten in a rut with the same lyrics over and over again. People are starting to scratch for more authenticity. It’s not style; it’s good vs. bad. Quality vs. crap.”
Here! Here! Harumph! Harumph!
However in the next breath, Nichols is saying things like, “You want to find the balance between art and commerce.”
Oh, okay. And then he says . . .
“If I could just make the record I wanted to make, I’d hire the countriest guys in Nashville. Kenny Sears, Opry members, the Time Jumpers. Maybe Vince Gill to come sing. And we’d make a country record that probably wouldn’t get sold at all. Lots of twin fiddles, steel guitars, country shuffles and western swing. If there are enough people to sign the petition, I’m all for it. And I would love to. But I’m not that rich.”
So you have to be rich to make a country album that sounds country? Boy I know of a hundred or so bands and artists that would beg to differ, including some that are selling lots of records these days—actually more records than many of their mainstream counterparts. I didn’t know Joe Nichols was so hard up for cash. Someone set him up with a Go Fund Me campaign maybe.
This all points to an underlying reason why most mainstream music artists can’t make the music they want to. It also explains why so many artists are now going with drum machines and synthesizers to fill out the production of their songs: it’s cheaper than session musicians. Though we may not like what Joe Nichols is saying, at least he’s being honest about his motivations.
Released ahead of his TBD ninth album, “Freaks Like Me” is a fairly country, but unmistakably checklist song that does exactly what Nichols complained about above, which is list off things such as cold beer, six packs, 4X4’s, blue jeans, boots, Jesus, and the good ol’ USA. I mean, it’s “the same lyrics over and over again,” to quote Nichols himself, but he somehow believes he’s sanctified because he calls himself a “freak” for still holding to these country things in the contemporary world. Either Nichols has been living under a rock, or he’s trying to pull the wool over our eyes.
What sucks is that “Freaks Like Me” really isn’t a bad song. It’s a shame that country fans have been so brow beaten by these Bro-Country laundry list songs for so many years that as soon as you hear the six pack reference your eyes set to rolling, but that’s just the way it is. These things are super worn out and cliché, and all the buzzwords employed in “Freaks Like Me” must be used sparingly if you expect your song to appeal to the same crowd as Kenny Sears, Vince Gill, and the Time Jumpers.
And it sucks because I do think Nichols is hitting on something with the sentiment of this song. His voice sounds great here, and the song is a pretty agreeable listen overall. There’s some good twang to the Telecaster, and a decent melody. I just don’t appreciate the way he’s singing out of both sides of his mouth, because despite the title, “Freaks Like Me” is totally trying for attention from the in-crowd.
If Joe Nichols really wants to play country shuffles and Western Swing, then dammit, just do it and figure out how to make it work. Otherwise you’re just stuck halfway between two worlds: destined to fail in the mainstream, and to let your country fans down.
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ONE GUN UP for a good underlying message and solid music.
ONE GUN DOWN for cliché checklist lyrics, especially after criticizing that very thing.
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October 6, 2015 @ 6:23 pm
I actually had to force myself to listen to his 2013 album Crickets. It sounded completely different from his previous albums.
October 6, 2015 @ 6:34 pm
On the other hand, it’s nice to see that Joe Nichols wasn’t thrown so far down into the fray that he became completely lost in the bro-country to EDM phases. Like you said, he keeps saying the right things, but the output is halfway to where the language is. Albums sales charts this year are proof that the country record he talks about COULD be made and be a huge hit. But until he can get to the point of ever releasing something like that (or even something like his earlier works), I’ll stay even a tad thankful that he peddles along releasing things like this, clinging to relevancy and dignity, instead of being entirely consumed by the commercial monster of Nashville.
Now as for that real country record that no one wants, I’m off to go listen to my copy of Squelch again.
October 6, 2015 @ 6:36 pm
This coming from the guy that snag “Yeah” and “Sunny and 75”? The latter is the worst example of bro country along with Florida-Georgia Line and Luke Bryan. He is still a sell out in my humble opinion.
October 6, 2015 @ 9:30 pm
How is “Sunny and 75” an example, or in your words, “the worst example” of bro country?
October 7, 2015 @ 5:33 am
He’s off his rocker. There are some bro-country elements (the beat) but it’s still a great song. The steel during the chorus just sears into you. It’s probably my favorite mainstream song in recent years.
October 7, 2015 @ 8:03 am
I wouldnt call it my favorite mainstream song (It Ain;t The Whskey is damn good) but I agree, Joe Nichols “sellout” song were better than the crap FGL and Aldean were rolling out.
Were they an example of what Joe Nichols can do? No and I was sad to see him go down that road, but they were pretty inoffensive as far as bro-Country goes.
October 7, 2015 @ 8:27 am
I felt “Sunny and 75” was much more akin to the adult-contemporary blandness of a decade ago rather than the recent bro stuff. It was so bland you could forget it before the song even ended.
October 6, 2015 @ 6:37 pm
Not sure why he’s scared to do traditional music, he’s far from a country superstar and I doubt he’ll ever be one. He is a decent singer and has released a lot of country stuff, but also some really really awful songs like ‘Yeah’.
If he wants to do some modern western swing, he needs to be checking out Aaron Watson.
October 7, 2015 @ 9:03 am
“Not sure why he”™s scared to do traditional music, he”™s far from a country superstar and I doubt he”™ll ever be one. He is a decent singer and has released a lot of country stuff, but also some really really awful songs like ”˜Yeah”™.”
I think as fans of guys we KNOW can deliver and love COUNTRY music , we underestimate the power their labels wield . Its like being hired as a qualified mechanic by a company that makes GREAT cars….the kind you LOVE to drive and have always respected. A company that treats its employees like family with great perks and benefits , respects you and keeps you working . You take out a mortgage , start a family and then the company decides its gonna make tricycles for toddlers instead . You’re NEW position in the company will be as the handle grip inspector but will pay about the same dollars. Oh and if you don’t like the new job and complain there are 2,000 other job applications from people who would pick the boss’s nose for a living if they had to ‘cuz they just need to work . No experience necessary.
Unfortunately its difficult for someone who was a somewhat successful mechanic to try to get by with a HUGE pay cut cuz he doesn’t like inspecting handlegrips .
Its obvious the music industry is hurting badly . There are people willing to sing the back of a cereal box if it puts them in a spotlight for a while and sells a few copies and feeds the family.
If Joe were able to afford to pay musicians , studios , producers ,engineers , videographers , roadies , a band AND a marketing company knowing full well that he may not recover his investment until several albums in even if radio was co-operative , he’d likely go ahead and do the record he wanted. Joe , like so many others , has bills to pay , mouths to feed and , in all likelihood , no professional mechanical ticket to fall back on . He’s painted himself into a corner , I’d say , and the label holds the contract to prove it . The success of people like George Strait , Garth and Alan Jackson is what allows them to make the record they want to make and maintain the lifestyle they and their families grown accustomed to . But this is a rare scenario in today’s country music scene . Most of the ‘BIG STARS’ have debts to pay off and all of the above costs to deal with . Hence , many have no choice but to ‘ Shut up and sing what we tell you to sing ” ! And most fans are just ENABLERS .
October 7, 2015 @ 10:43 pm
Excellent comment.
It all comes down to the capital vs. labor divide. The economic elites vs. the actual producers.
On the other hand, a “laborer” like Joe Nichols is quite a bit richer than a street musician looking for a record deal. He has the resources to buck his label and rise from the rank of labor to that of “petite bourgeoisie”…
October 6, 2015 @ 6:54 pm
Making a Kickstarter campaign for Joe Nichols to record a traditional country album is actually a really interesting idea.
It would probably garner Nichols some publicity, which he doesn’t get much of. And it would allow him to make a record without his label being concerned about losing money. It would earn him a lot of critical praise as well and potentially could earn him award nominations which he doesn’t get anymore.
If it sold more than maybe 15,000 copies its first week it would be on par with all of his other recent releases.
I would be interested to know would take to set up something like that. I actually think Nichols would be on board with it if it was possible.
October 6, 2015 @ 7:04 pm
Wouldn’t be too hard to set up a crowdfunding campaign. I’d love to see it done and make him put our money where his mouth is. I hated crickets but I still like Joe, would like to see him really stick to being the traditionalist that he says he is.
October 6, 2015 @ 9:23 pm
I’d rather see fans spend their money on people who have their hearts on playing country music without overt financial concern.
October 7, 2015 @ 9:09 am
“Making a Kickstarter campaign for Joe Nichols to record a traditional country album is actually a really interesting idea.”
I’m IN !! If this isn’t a hands -on pro-active way to save country music using one of the most talented guys in the business , I don’t know what is.
October 7, 2015 @ 12:07 pm
Ginger from the Wildhearts, a British rock band I suspect few on this site know, has done that successfully several times. My understanding his fan base kicked in so fast that the raise filled out immediately. He recorded 3 albums of material, gave that to the contributors, then reduced it to one album for general release. I might have some of the facts off but in general it’s about right. I am sure there are other examples, I just remember reading about this one. I personally would get behind something like that for an artist I like in a heartbeat.
October 8, 2015 @ 8:37 am
Kenny Loggins and his band Blue Sky Riders (Nashville songwriters Gary Burr and Georgia Middleman) just finished their second album that was funded in part by fans.
They offered all kinds of incentives to get people to contribute, like being allowed to sit in on a recording session and hosting an acoustic house concert.
October 6, 2015 @ 7:28 pm
I love Joe Nichols. I love his perfect balance of real modern country and the singles he makes for radio. No one should be knocking this man, he is honest and to the point, not to mention he has always kept it country even with his recent radio singles. He isnt a sell out, whoever says that has obviously never listened to any of the songs on Crickets. Tons of real country music on that album, so much so that only 3 of the songs were “radio friendly”.
October 6, 2015 @ 7:43 pm
I would label Joe a sell out either. The problem is he’s put himself right between two worlds where he doesn’t appeal strongly to either.
October 6, 2015 @ 7:56 pm
Exactly.
October 6, 2015 @ 11:11 pm
Hahaha at least have money or your dignity. Why have neither?
October 7, 2015 @ 11:36 am
Exactly. He’s not comfortable selling out…which means he also doesn’t have the money to say “Fuck you, I’m doing what I want” without it actually affecting him and his family.
October 6, 2015 @ 8:21 pm
Stop catering to radio!!! I can’t believe Joe actually said those things. To the media??? Wow. It’s a bit refreshing to see such candor but at the same time you think Waylon is face palming from the grave. I mean, so much for Outlaw mentality! Thank GOD Waylon and Willie et al didn’t have that wimpy ass thought process back then or we never would have had those groundbreaking albums. And thank goodness all our great minds of the last few centuries didn’t feel like Joe. The world would still be flat, polio would still run rampant, and we’d all still be flying the Union Jack! Jeez! Grow a pair, man!
October 7, 2015 @ 11:30 am
I think you mean “Thank God Waylon was an honest-to-God superstars who could afford to break with Nashville without compromising his quality of life, and Willie hadn’t made it yet when he went out west.”
Like others have said, Nichols is right on that fringe where saying “fuck it, I’m going independent” will actually have an effect on his and his family’s lifestyle.
October 6, 2015 @ 7:55 pm
It seems like when some of these guys get a little taste of some mainstream success, they just can’t seem to let go. I think that a guy like Joe Nichols would find that if he just made the damn music he says he wants to make, he would be better off in the long run. Most Joe Nichols fans want him to make traditional country, after all that’s why they became Joe Nichols fans in the first place. The problem is these guys seem to grab at straws desperately trying to gain popularity with fans who don’t give a shit about traditional country music, an effort in futility which in turn makes them look like total jackasses (see Gary Allan).
A girl I was dating at the time gave me a copy of the “Brokenheartsville” album and it was a damn good country record. I still have it and still like it. So my message to Joe is to do what you do best, break out the fiddles and steel and make a damn country record.
October 6, 2015 @ 8:08 pm
Well said! I completely agree.
October 7, 2015 @ 11:07 am
Jackie,
That was the best post on this issue I have seen, you nailed it. Why guys like Joe(mid tier celebs) can’t comprehend that its better career wise(and financially) to have a career based on longevity, supported by your loyal fanbase because you make authentic music, than to try and keep grasping for that radio success and bowing down to the big label continues to amaze me. Go independent, cut your costs the majors make you recoup, produce great records, and reap the rewards.
October 7, 2015 @ 11:31 am
Yeah, after seeing how well it’s worked out for Jamey Johnson, I can’t imagine why Nichols would be hesitant!
October 6, 2015 @ 8:57 pm
Man, I’m just glad to hear an actual set of drums being used.
October 7, 2015 @ 4:24 am
And today, that’s an accomplishment in itself. . .
October 6, 2015 @ 9:19 pm
I really do like the sentiment. It’s a shame that it’s been done so many times recently, because this feels much more genuine and I can definitely relate to it. If you consider the old Joe (unsinkable ships, brokenheartsville) next to this then I really like it. But it’s easy to forget, and compare it to the trash that’s on the radio now, and lose the true sentiment. Still a let down, wish he would just go all out and not hold back for commerciality’s sake.
October 6, 2015 @ 11:24 pm
What a hypocrite this guy is. Shame, cause he used to be really good too.
October 7, 2015 @ 12:28 am
Joe Nichols never had the big sales , he wasn’t the real big name , even his singles went to #1.So it’s hard to keep up making the music he wants and having a record deal after 15 years of discography.
October 7, 2015 @ 1:09 am
Meh, color me unimpressed.
My central issue with this song runs parallel to my criticisms of a previous Craig Morgan single: “More Trucks Than Cars”. And that is, while that song was undoubtedly quite country-sounding in terms of instrumentation and production, it still couldn’t help but make me cringe by the end as to how aggressively checklist-centric the lyricism was. (City limit signs! Water towers! County fairs! Rusted-up RC Cola Signs! Biscuits! Grits! Gravy! Waitresses that call you ‘Baby’! Hell yeah! Old Glory! Ford trucks! Can I get another ‘Hell yeah’!)
“Freaks Like Me” is much the same way. I feel like it’s so easy to have gotten so desensitized to mainstream country/”country” radio fodder over these past eight years or so to the point where something that sounds decidedly country in terms of instrumentation and isn’t about hook-ups thematically seems like a breath of fresh air in comparison. But to my ears, “Freaks Like Me” just doesn’t earn a pass.
Even from a vocal standpoint, Nichols’ above-average vocalists in comparison to his fellow mainstream male contemporaries fail to stand out as much as they really should in that they struggle and strain to rise above the overcompressed wall of sound dominating the chorus. I may not have liked the majority of his previous album “Crickets”, but one positive I can acknowledge about that album as a whole is that Nichols’ vocals were at the forefront of virtually every track and there’s just something about his warm, inviting and yet robust delivery that makes for a saving grace of sorts on even his most throwaway tracks. Here, his vocals only take command in the first verse, but otherwise take a backseat to the overly clunky guitar work.
*
So, yeah………….at least this isn’t “Hard To Be Cool”…………..but still a far cry from “The Shape I’m In”, and I’d even admit I prefer “Sunny & 75” over this.
I’m thinking a Strong 4 to Light 5 out of 10 for this one.
October 7, 2015 @ 5:36 am
The thing I find off-putting about “Freaks Like Me” has nothing to do with how country it is or isn’t. Joe Nichols has always been the clean cut, handsome, well-dressed dude. There’s nothing “Freak” about him, so the song comes off extremely fake.
October 7, 2015 @ 7:49 am
I think what he’s trying to say is that by being clean cut, that makes him a freak nowadays. It’s sort of like a modern version of “Dinosaur” in a sense.
October 7, 2015 @ 5:59 am
I think we are having an overreaction to this song. It is a decent little somewhat country tune. Nichols is one of the good ones. When this bro-crap disperses, he will be in a good position as one of the few known artists that didn’t sell out uet remained relevant.
October 7, 2015 @ 6:14 am
I think this is the first song you’ve reviewed in quite awhile where I actually made it through the whole thing without tearing off my headphones in disgust. That says something right there. I’d never argue this is a great song, but it was harmless enough and you were right about there being some good guitar parts in it.
October 7, 2015 @ 6:34 am
Joe Nichols released one of the strongest country records by anybody in Country Music history with “Revelation.” His other output has been pretty unremarkable, but he’s not super offensive. If he’d been around even a decade earlier he’d be one of the greatest acts Country Music ever saw, as long as he did more stuff like he did with that album. He has so much capability it’s a shame it all goes to waste.
October 7, 2015 @ 7:07 pm
Interesting point. I agree, if he came around in the early nineties, he probably would have been on par with all of the greats of that era. He possibly even could have filled Keith Whitley’s place as a traditionalist.
Was it a typo when you said “strongest in country music history?” Did you perhaps mean “strongest in the modern commercial era?”
October 8, 2015 @ 6:22 am
No, I meant exactly what I typed. I think that’s one of the strongest overall albums with the deepest and most thoughtful material put out in all of Country Music. It would probably be in my top ten of the greatest Country albums. I was not crazy with Keith Whitley’s commercial stuff, especially when compared to his Clinch Mountain days with Ricky Skaggs and Dr. Stanley.
October 7, 2015 @ 7:02 am
I’ve always liked Joe. I thought “Tequila makes her clothes fall off” was an example of how to do a comedy country song pretty well. “Brokenheartsville” was a solid tune, and “My Whiskey Years” was great.
This song doesn’t move me one way or the other. Decent sound, but way too much checklist stuff. If this is the worst offender on the album, then I suppose it might not be that bad. I understand the label wants a single, but can it at least have some storytelling elements?
And the comments drive me crazy. A traditional country record wouldn’t sell? Nobody on a major label outside of George and Alan has the guts to try it, so how do they know? I think Joe could position himself in the market pretty well if he just totally committed to that direction. As it is, he may end up with a top 10 single or two and mediocre sales. Are Luke Bryan, FGL and Jason Aldean fans really going to be pumped up for a Joe Nichols release? Could they even name three of his songs? I doubt it. I really believe Joe could make an awesome traditional country album, and go after a market that is under-served.
October 7, 2015 @ 8:06 am
I don’t know how I feel about this song to be honest. Parts of it feel like it is totally aiming to be played at NRA and RNC conventions and outright pandering to the mainstream Country music audience.
That being said, much like “The Driver” it’s better than most of the crap on the radio right now…..so I would have to give it a “C” grade. It’s good when you compare it to the crap on Country radio, but compare it to the good stuff Trigger highlights and it just doesnt hold a candle.
October 7, 2015 @ 12:15 pm
You crack me up with your refs to the NRA and the RNC, because you are dead on.
And I am an extremely conservative gun owner who is not a NRA member or a RNC type.
October 7, 2015 @ 8:22 am
Meanwhile, If King George had released this we would all be cumming all over ourselves.
October 7, 2015 @ 10:33 am
Doubtful. I wouldnt at least. A mediocre to bad song is a mediocre or bad song no matter who writes or records it. I like Gary Allan, but “Hangover Tonight” was pure trash. On the other hand I can listen to “What We Ain’t Got” by Jake Owen and admit it’s a damn good song (even if most of the stuff Owen records is trash).
October 7, 2015 @ 4:13 pm
Eh, not really. I honestly feel that George Strait is pretty overrated. I love his music from the 80s to the mid 90s, but after that he jut started to sound so safe and sterile to me.
October 7, 2015 @ 11:34 am
Well, it looks like he’s pushed his label to let him cut singles that are far more country than he could on Crickets!
Hopefully he’ll be able to release an actual “good song” to the radio in his third album.
October 7, 2015 @ 1:15 pm
Maybe Joe Nichols plays the middle because he thinks he must do so to keep some traditional sound remaining on the radio since Alan Jackson was deprived of his action, King George was deposed and Josh Turner was turned away.
October 7, 2015 @ 1:57 pm
I like this song, it’s certainly better than Nichols other recent singles.
When I dig deeper into the lyrics (in other words, when I consider Trigger’s review) I can see that they are cliche and not incredibly deep. However, when I just listen to the song and look for a coherent message, I can relate to it.
October 8, 2015 @ 4:07 am
Whenever I hear one of these country laundry list songs from a Billboard country artist I think about Josh Abbott Band’s ‘I’ll Sing About Mine’. The problem with listing ‘country’ stuff in a country song is that it cheapens each item. I listen to this song and I want to like it because he’s talking about my life, but I don’t like it because if all he can do is list that stuff then he’s obviously never experienced it. Joe Nichols is an empty hat. For radio friendly but artistically legit I’ll take Dierks Bentley any day.
October 10, 2015 @ 8:45 pm
This song is ok I like his earlier stuff better. I really like Joe Nichols very first cd back in 1996. Freaks like me is better than other trash came out this year including Garth Brooks last 2 horrible singles.