Saving Country Music’s 2013 Album of the Year
Yes ladies and gentlemen, you’re seeing this right. Do not rub your eyes or adjust your monitors. In a wild upset, coming out of left field, and counter to just about every other music outlet’s top rated albums, Saving Country Music’s Album of the Year for 2013 is none other than the masterpiece from The Mavericks, the infectious celebration of the joys of life and music known as In Time.
Go ahead, leave your comments below about how this album is not country.
Great albums dominate genres. Masterpieces defy genres. And that’s what The Mavericks do with In Time.
The Mavericks’ In Time cuts against the grain, and is counterintuitive to all of the well-noted and often-ballyhooed music trends of 2013. 2013 was coined as the “Year of the Woman” in country music by many, and the “Year of the Songwriter” by Saving Country Music and others. In Time doesn’t appreciably reside in either of those distinctions, though I would argue that it’s a much more deft songwriting presentation than it may seem on the surface. And no, it’s not especially country in the traditional sense.
But you reach a point in music where it is so good that no data points, no trends, no narrow-minded ties to genre matter. Music isn’t meant to be over thought as we so often do as active music fans, it is meant to be felt. And the best music simply grips you and allows you to lose yourself in it. In Time reminded this jaded music critic who must toil through reams of albums every day to find something even worthy of writing a few paragraphs about of what it meant to be a music lover all over again.
2013 Saving Country Music Album of the Year Nominees
A masterpiece? I believe so. Singer Raul Malo is the the George Jones and Frank Sinatra of our time all rolled up into one, it’s just our time is gripped by the narrow, short attention span that doesn’t paying proper attention to talent like Raul’s towering vocal gifts that are unparalleled in virtually every corner of music this side of operatic maestros, or the tastefulness of guitar player and harmony singer Eddie Perez, or all of the admirable contributions of The Mavericks’ core and subsidiary players.
The country influences are certainly here, and anyone who asserts otherwise simply isn’t listening through the music to its inner soul. But without question, there are heavy Latin, cajun, surf, rock, and jazz influences here too. In Time is not simply the best album in country music in 2013, it is arguably one of the best, if not the best album in all of American music, and for it not to win the day in it’s home genre of country music would be a silly oversight, and tough to justify as In Time only becomes fortified by the test of time, divested from trend or taste as it is, and embedded with such universal appeal.
In Time by The Mavericks is the one; the only album that left no room for improvement, was both slick and tight, yet alive and breathing from the live aspect of the recording. It looked both forward, and behind. It led, but also paid tribute. It was a gift of music that gave more than any other in 2013, that also promises to continue to give for years to come.
Purchase The Mavericks’ In Time
Sturgill Simpson’s High Top Mountain
Fans of this album will be the first to cry foul, but I will say what many long-time fans that knew Sturgill before this album will all admit: Sturgill has even more in him than High Top Mountain captures. I say this in an appreciative way as someone who has known Sturgill’s music longer than most. Sturgill has a whole career of albums ahead of him, and may win half a dozen Albums of the Year from Saving Country Music and others before it’s all done. But if an artist could have even done more than a particular album displays, however excellent that album may be, it must be considered when making a choice for Album of the Year. Nonetheless, consider High Top Mountain a very close runner up.
Jason Isbell’s Southeastern
Jason Isbell’s Southeastern should also be considered a very close runner up to In Time. It is an astounding collection of songs, but in the end didn’t carry the weight as a complete album concept the way In Time did in my opinion.
Also interesting to note, I did tally all of the clear and obvious votes from readers for all of the Album of the Year nominees. The Mavericks and In Time beat out Southeastern 20 votes to 19. High Top Mountain got the most with 24, but Saving Country Music is also much more familiar ground for Simpson and Isbell fans. It was interesting to see just how close these three albums came to each other, and it did help influence the outcome.
And lastly I would say, before people scream about how another album should have won, my request is only do so after you have given In Time a chance.
January 6, 2014 @ 9:54 am
Either of these three albums could rightly be AoTY. The Mavericks’ work this year has been refreshing and phenomenal and I’m glad to see them back and in great form. Not a bad cut on that CD and they are even better live.
January 6, 2014 @ 9:59 am
Excellent news and a great choice! It’s a phenomenal album, so unique and well-done. This made my day!
January 6, 2014 @ 10:09 am
I own a couple of Mavericks’ albums. I appreciate their talent, and influence. Raul has a fantastic voice, and the band is wonderful, its just not my cup of tea.
January 6, 2014 @ 10:19 am
I have to confess I haven’t bought this one yet, I plan on it though.
You know what’s interesting is this Mavericks album has more comments (and more positive comments) on Amazon that Luke Bryan who has problem owned the country charts more than anyone during 2013.
I’m not sure what to make of that… maybe teenage and college girls only take time to write when Twitter and iTunes are involved?
Luke on Amazon:
http://www.amazon.com/Crash-My-Party-Luke-Bryan/dp/B00DJYK4VE/ref=sr_1_1?s=music&ie=UTF8&qid=1389028365&sr=1-1&keywords=luke+bryan+crash+my+party
Vs. The Mavericks on Amazon:
http://www.amazon.com/Crash-My-Party-Luke-Bryan/dp/B00DJYK4VE/ref=sr_1_1?s=music&ie=UTF8&qid=1389028365&sr=1-1&keywords=luke+bryan+crash+my+party
January 6, 2014 @ 10:54 am
The Mavericks/Raul Malo have a dedicated and extremely active fan base, so the large number of Amazon comments doesn’t surprise me. It also helps explain why In Time got so many votes here. Not that it wasn’t a fine album.
January 6, 2014 @ 1:29 pm
When the votes started coming in from The Mavericks, I knew there was clearly a concerted effort. But I’m not sure that’s a reason to discount either those votes, or the Amazon ratings. These speak to the loyalty of the band’s fan base, which speaks to the quality of their music, the authenticity of the band, and their ability to connect with their fans in a very real and special way.
January 6, 2014 @ 1:27 pm
The Mavericks is sit in such a gray area in music, and in country music in so many respects, I think the tendency is to either forget about them or overlook them. They’re not what you would think of as a traditionally “independent” band because they are singed to Valory Music, which is an imprint of Big Machine Records, they played as the house band at the CMT Awards, and they have won the highest accolades of the industry in the past with their CMA and ACM Awards for Vocal Group of the Year back in the 90’s.
At the same time they’re too small, and too independent at the moment to be noticed heavily by the mainstream industry. Combine that with their sound which is not what some would consider traditionally as “country,” but not because they’re rapping or playing arena rock, but because they’re taking a very neotraditional approach, and they sit in sort of a country music no man’s land, and don’t get covered as much as they deserve to be either by independent or mainstream outlets.
Despite all of that, their fan base is big and loyal, and I think why people find that so surprising is because this is not a band you see in the headlines all the time. They are huge, but at the same time, undercovered. “In Time” was probably a very big commercial success too, a much bigger success than most people realize. It debuted at #8 on the country charts. Scott Borchetta is not stupid. He saw both the commercial and critical potential of this album, and pounced. Everyone who was complaining about Borchetta’s recent comments saying that country music needed more substance (https://savingcountrymusic.com/scott-borchetta-lashes-out-against-beer-tailgate-songs), well The Mavericks was Borchetta putting his money where his mouth is.
This record is massive amongst public opinion and word of mouth, and the ratings on Amazon prove that. It is the media that has been completely behind the story of this album, and The Mavericks renewed success in 2013. That, and they fact that this album is just so damn great, is why I felt it was imperative to name it Album of the Year.
January 6, 2014 @ 8:11 pm
I know that no one here particularly likes Borchetta or Big Machine, but I was thinking that same thing when I read that thread. Big Machine puts out a lot of crap, but it also put out one of the best albums of the year as well. I doubt Borchetta is necessarily averse to releasing good music, he just places a desire to make money over the desire to release good music. Maybe the success and accolades that “In Time” is receiving will be an incentive to continue releasing quality music, at least occasionally.
January 6, 2014 @ 10:38 am
Awesome news!!! And you said it correctly…the best album in all of American music!! They have come back with a bang and their concerts are selling out so fast that it is hard to get tickets. Love The Mavericks and say welcome back!!!!
January 6, 2014 @ 11:10 am
No problems with you deviating from pure outright country in your pick. I would have agreed with Southeastern or Stay Reckless or By the Lamplight and those would fall into that category. I’ve given the Mavericks album several listens and I like it and appreciate it but it never ended up in my steady listening rotation. I guess when it comes down to it, it’s a matter of taste. I don’t understand this pick but this is your list.
January 6, 2014 @ 11:28 am
I haven’t given In Time a listen yet but I’ll be sure to do so. If it beats out Southeastern and High Top Mountain, then that’s saying something I guess.
January 6, 2014 @ 11:52 am
I made the same choice for my blog, so yes ! The Mavericks record is a masterpiece. An incredible and powerful collection of the most full of feeling songs of the last year. And many more.
Word !
Have a nice 2014 year, all of you. Best wishes from France.
January 6, 2014 @ 12:25 pm
You know, Trig…that works…I play several cuts in rotation…saw them in Luckenbach, visited with all the boys, and interviewed Raul – watch out for his accordion player, Michael Guerra, he’s a hoss!
January 6, 2014 @ 1:32 pm
Michael I think is the unheralded player in The Mavericks. He’s not an original member, but he’s arguably one of the most important right behind Raul And Eddie Perez. Did an excellent job when I saw him at Gruene Hall.
January 8, 2014 @ 2:28 am
No offense intended Triggerman, but if the Mavericks are in Big G’s radio rotation…I’am Sold! I know what Big G plays and I likes it! (Your selections do seem to be a little, um…eccentric…sumtimes…?) but hey!,…I love this site and the insight you bring! I’am still kinda partial to Sturgill Simpson’s High Top Mountain but in honesty Triggerman, YOU sold me both. tHANKS!
January 6, 2014 @ 12:28 pm
love the isbell and simpson albums and ill definitely listen to the mavericks soon as I get a chance. I was a fan of the mavericks in the 90s when I listened to a lot of alternative country music but I lost track of them at some point. the older I get the less time there seems to be for listening to music and theres always more new stuff to listen to so older bands can get forgotten unfortunately.
January 6, 2014 @ 12:39 pm
Sort of saw this coming, or at least was rooting for this one after you named the two SCM crowd favorites (I think a lot of votes for In Time came from enhusiastic Mavericks fans who found this site after the SCM AOTY nominees article was linked to on the Mavericks facebook page, which is cool) the SCM artists of the year and thus took them out of the running for this one. I had Southeastern (#1)and High Top Mountain (#5) ahead of In Time (#6) on my personal list, but I do think it’s a great album and it has made me a new Mavericks fan. I’m going to see them in early March for the first time.
January 6, 2014 @ 12:40 pm
Just bought ‘In Time’ this weekend, but haven’t listened to it. Guess I’ll have to pay a little more attention when I give it a go.
Enjoyed ‘Southeastern’ a lot, but between it and Sturgill Simpson’s album, I would have to put ‘High Top Mountain’ a notch above.
January 6, 2014 @ 1:11 pm
Man bro, as much as I know you love Sturgill Simpson’s music I am intrigues seeing you vote for a album other than his. Gonna order that album today.
January 6, 2014 @ 1:17 pm
Agree 100%
January 6, 2014 @ 1:38 pm
Would have been tough for me to choose as well. I personally favored Sturgill. Just very impressed with his style and sound. Such a breath of fresh air. Can’t believe Justin Moore or Florida Georgia Line weren’t nominated bahaha bahaha. J/k!
January 6, 2014 @ 1:40 pm
You know I gave “In Time” a few chances and it really didn’t do it for me. I think I kept waiting for full rockabilly mode to kick in and it never quite got there. A number of the uptempo songs sounded similar to me.
It was a good year for real country music. Hope it continues in 2014.
January 7, 2014 @ 9:54 am
Big A–I know what you mean. It still does it for me, but oh if only it had a little more of what you describe!
January 6, 2014 @ 2:10 pm
Got no problem with this at all. anyway you slice it the Mavericks have CHOPS musiaclly, vocally live performance wise. As solid a record and a band as there is or frankly ever has been. Any of those other 2 records were worthy and I would still make a case for Jason Bolands Dark and Dirty Mile record being album of the year worthy BUT The Mavericks record was outstanding ! Well deserved
January 6, 2014 @ 5:40 pm
Cool pick, Trig! From what I’ve heard, it sounds like it’s just purely enjoyable music that transcends genre. 🙂 (In terms of the purest enjoyment, I picked They Might Be Giants’ ‘Nanobots’ as my favorite album of last year — 10 months after its release, and I’m still positively addicted to those tunes.)
January 6, 2014 @ 5:56 pm
Very cool.
The Mavericks are pretty new to me. Given the rising Latino culture in America, a band that can combine Latin and American / southern influences is very relevant. And of course the music is great. If I owned a country radio station, I think I would put “Back In Your Arms Again” in rotation.
Congrats to the Mavericks & the runners up.
January 6, 2014 @ 6:29 pm
I think that Latinos may be one of the great untapped audiences for country music. I often listen to Spanish (and Portuguese) music on the radio, and I am struck by how melodic and lyric-heavy it is. If the two supergenres of the future are country and rap, then Latinos on average will most definitely gravitate toward country, especially the Texas style with its slow tempo.
January 6, 2014 @ 6:51 pm
Good point.
I just finished reading a Willie Nelson biography by Joe Nick Patoski that said Willie has a huge following in Mexico and Latin America. I’m not surprised. Of course, Texas is an obvious place for those cultures to blend, though there a lot of Latinos in Nashville as well, and around the south.
January 6, 2014 @ 7:09 pm
If you study Mexican and South American culture, the formal dress in many locations is what we would consider country or Western wear: boots, cowboy hats, collared pearl-snapped Western shirts. There is more similarities between North American and Central/South American rural music than most people know. Just listen to Doug Sahm, or there’s a new Austin band called The Crooks that really fuses the two styles well.
The thing about the Mavericks is their Latin influences roll through Miami, so they have more of a tropical, Cuban-based influence to them.
January 8, 2014 @ 7:50 am
I appreciate the heads up on Crooks I’m listening to it right now and am liking what I hear!
January 6, 2014 @ 6:00 pm
Does this decision surprise me? Yes. Am I ok with it? Absolutely. I’ve heard tracks from this album on the satellite radio while at work all year long and track by track I damn near bought the whole album! I think the Mavericks have this undeniable sound that just can’t be ignored. Such variety on the record but it all flows really well! I’m so glad these guys are getting the props they deserve! I would consider them America’s band!
January 6, 2014 @ 6:32 pm
In Time was the only nominated album that I hadn’t heard. If it topped Isbell & Sturgill then I’m gonna have to get my hands on this thing right away!
January 6, 2014 @ 7:51 pm
I am somewhat surprised about this, but also happy. “In Time” is a great, great album. “Southeastern” and “High Top Mountain” are both great albums as well, of course, but they are ones where I have to be in the right mood to fully appreciate them (particularly “Southeastern”), where as “In Time” is an album that I can put on at any time and enjoy it immensely.
I had heard of The Mavericks before, of course, but until this album, and specifically the review of it here on SCM, I had never really paid much attention to them, so I thank you very much for bringing them and this album to my attention.
January 6, 2014 @ 9:50 pm
I just bought In Time, and I really really want to get into it, but I don’t like Latin stylings mixed with country. I’ve loved “Born to be Blue” since it was released quite awhile ago, but I bought the album mostly because of how much praise it’s gotten, especially on this site. I knew the Latin stylings would be there, but I didn’t expect it to overshadow everything else. I haven’t gotten through the entire album yet, but I understand that this is personal preference and nothing else.
However, I am slightly disappointed that Southeastern didn’t win this. I feel as though that album transcends personal tastes better than In Time or High Top Mountain. The Mavericks and Simpson have fairly defined sounds, whereas Isbell bounces around between folk, americana, and alt country. Every song on Southeastern is so blatantly different from the rest–and that accomplishment alone is amazing, but then you add in the quality of the material, and I would say that Southeastern should have won this.
However, you run this site, and like most people here I love the place. I get exposed to artists I’ve never heard of and get to express my views without worry of backlash. If that has to come with your personal preferences disagreeing with mine, sign me up. Wouldn’t this place be boring if we all agreed on everything?
January 7, 2014 @ 1:22 am
Yeah, good choice! On the whole I would say I enjoyed Raul Malo’s last two solo albums more than I did “In Time” but that doesn’t take away from what a fine album this is. And the tour in support of the album was fnatastic!
January 7, 2014 @ 8:56 am
Trigger,
As an avid country music fan and daily reader of your site, I find your selection of The Maverick’s “In Time” for Saving Country Music’s Album of The Year very disappointing. I refer back to your mission statement posted on SCM’s site that states:
“Saving Country Music promotes and disseminates information about REAL country music, the underground country music movement, as well as the underground and DIY movements of roots, rockabilly, bluegrass, blues, and some folk music.”
I guess using this description one could argue that the Latin/Jazz influenced “In Time” could qualify as a candidate for this honor. The album definitely fits into the all-encompassing, genre defying, tent you’ve been pitching on your site of late. But isn’t that how we got to this grave point in country music? By accepting genre defying music (good or bad) as country music, haven’t we opened the door for acts like Florida Georgia Line, Taylor Swift and Lady Antebellum to dominate our airwaves and helped create a homogeneous genre?
I know this all sounds Hitler-esque, but the bottom line is we readers look up to you and expect you to lead the movement to restoring order in our genre.
It would be like you being the President of the Saving the Bald Eagle Foundation. We all joined your foundation cause we are passionate about preserving its existence. We fundraise and conduct environmental recovery and educational programs all year long. Then at the yearly Bald Eagle Banquet, the endangered Mountain Chicken Frog is on the cover of the program. During your speech, you speak about the importance of the Mountain Chicken Frog and claim all funds will now be to allocated to preserving its existence. The rest of us all left to wonder, “What about the American Eagle?” Yeah the frog is important, but we are here for the Eagle.
I can’t imagine not reading SCM on a daily basis. Through your good work, I was exposed to 5 artists that had albums on my 2013 year end list – The Devil Makes Three, Eric Strickland and the B sides, Holly Williams, Jayke Orvis, and Valerie June. And for that, I thank you. However, Maybe it’s time to change the name of your site to “Really Good Music” or “One Big Happy Tent.”
Concerned Country Music Fan
January 7, 2014 @ 9:52 am
(matt2)–At least tell me you listened to the album. . .
January 7, 2014 @ 10:05 am
Absolutely! And with the exception of “(Call Me) When You Get To Heaven,” I do like the album. According to my itunes library, I listened to “Back In Your Arms Again” 15 times (to give you a better perspective). I also really liked releases this year from Joe Black Lewis, The Thermals, Queens of the Stone Age, and Phoenix. But, I’m not naming them Country Music Album of the year.
I hope The Mavericks win a Grammy for this album, but in the some other category other than Country.
January 7, 2014 @ 10:50 am
No worries about this album receiving a Grammy…it didn’t receive any nominations.
January 7, 2014 @ 11:14 am
All hail The Mavericks, the Mountain Chicken Frogs of country music!
Great analogy. Especially “Yeah the frog is important, but we are here for the Eagle.” I don’t feel exactly the way you do (except that we both like the album), but damned if I don’t know exactly where you stand.
January 7, 2014 @ 12:06 pm
Is that Valerie June album country? I really think there are a number of stylistic similarities between that album and “In Time.”
January 7, 2014 @ 12:46 pm
hoptowntiger94 (matt2),
Is “In Time” a traditionally-sounding country record? Of course not. But that doesn’t mean that it isn’t country, that it doesn’t refer back to many root elements or traditions of country music, and shouldn’t be considered for this distinction simply because it isn’t “straight down the middle” country.
It’s not like this is an album from Neil Young or Tom Waits, and I’m calling it “Album of the Year” just because I like it. “In Time” was released through the CMA, on a country record label. The Mavericks have been nominated and won big country music awards in the past, and no, not in the modern era when the lines that define country have become blurred, but in the mid 90’s when they were much more defined than they are today. Where do you think the style of Willie Nelson’s guitar playing came from, or the influences behind classic country artists like Johnny Rodriguez, Freddy Fender, Rosie Flores, or even non-Latin artists like Doug Sahm and Dwight Yoakam? As I said in my initial review, I hear a ton of Dwight in this music, and not just because Eddie Perez who played with Dwight for years is arguably the 2nd most important member of this band.
I understand what you’re saying with the blurring of genre lines, and trust me, I would have much rather named a traditional country album as my top album of 2013. But the question is, was there a worthy candidate? Do I overly-inflate a candidate just because they are country, and devalue the Mavericks just because they don’t shoot country straight down the middle?
It would have been super easy for me to have named Sturgill Simpson’s “High Top Mountain” to this honor, and gone about my business. It would have been the easy, obvious, non-controversial pick. But would it have been right? I remember when the studio version of his song “Life Ain’t Fair & The World Is Mean” was first released, ahead of “High Top Mountain.” To a man, everyone was complaining the the studio version of that song did not nearly capture the same vibe the live one did. Without considering the rest of the album, that in itself is recognition that “High Top Mountain” did not live up to its full potential. It’s still an excellent, excellent, album. But a masterpiece? Probably not, and so to put it above “In Time” just because it was more country seems to diminish the spirit of the “Album of the Year” as a project that sets the pace for quality and an inspiring work above all others.
Something else that I have noticed in the last few years is that as mainstream pop country pulls away from its traditional country roots, much traditional country music tries to reinforce them by trying to be ultra-country. The result is music that many times feels tired, uninspired, unoriginal, and outmoded. As I always say, just because something is true country doesn’t mean its good, and just because something is not true country doesn’t mean it is bad. There’s a lot of folks making “true” country music right now that resonates with very few people because there’s nothing enchanting about it.
One of the great things about Strugill’s “High Top Mountain” is that it was both traditional and inspired, and that is why I considered it for this distinction, and named him Artist of the Year. But in my opinion, so was “In Time,” without some of the second-guessing baggage that saddles “High Top Mountain.”
I know you may not be lobbying for Sturgill Simpson specifically, but if I had named Southeastern Album of the Year, that wouldn’t have been very traditional country either. Neither would have John Moreland. So Brandy Clark? But some would have called that pop country. Brent Amaker? That may have been the most traditional of the lot, but also very weird and ripe for misunderstanding. There were trappings with every candidate in hind sight, so I just tried to pick the best album overall.
This was not an easy decision, and I understand how with it, and maybe some of the other music I’ve been writing lately why some people would wonder of Saving Country Music is losing its country roots. The thing is, I’m searching for the best music, and not putting any restrictions on that search aside from it being within the country realm. And right now, I feel like the classic, traditional, and underground side of country is trying too hard to be something and prove a point instead of trying to find that original expression that will speak to people.
And no, I don’t believe The Mavericks are akin to Florida Georgia Line, etc. in blurring lines. If you listen to “In Time,” above all of its influences and textures, it is a neo-traditional album first and foremost, steeped very heavily in the 60’s and before, including the time before the 1950’s when genres truly didn’t matter.
My commitment to country music has never been stronger. But we need to charge traditional, classic, real, true country artists to rise to the challenges the genre is facing today. In the meantime, I am going to seek out the best music out there and try and share it with everyone, regardless of how pure country it is.
January 7, 2014 @ 1:50 pm
Hey Trigger, I agree with almost everything in this comment and it brings up the never ending response of country has to ‘evolve’ and can’t just all sound like Hank Williams which I think most would agree with but the question is what is the ‘right’ evolution because I think we can all name a million examples of the wrong evolution. This comes up all the time in mainstream country circles with fans of Aldean, FGL, etc. and I wonder have you written anything meaty on this topic?
January 7, 2014 @ 2:28 pm
I have never written about it exclusively, but I have brought it up numerous times in articles.
https://savingcountrymusic.com/women-at-forefront-of-country-music-evolution
““Country must evolve” is the way it is sold to the country music public when pop and hip-hop influences are invited into the country music fold. What these folks fail to point out is that country has been trying to evolve for 30 some odd years right under their noses, and instead of incorporating this creativity and innovation into country that could spurn a broadening of the country music tent, these artist who”™ve crafted ways to both respect the roots of country yet push them forward have been excommunicated for years to alt-country, and are now being gobbled up by the all-encompassing “Americana” term, robbing country of some of the most premium talent the roots world has to offer.”
https://savingcountrymusic.com/country-rap-is-here-a-survivors-guide
“DO NOT fall prey to the idea that country rap is part of the natural evolution of the genre, and that “purists” have always been against “change”. Yes, there were some that fought the electrification of country or the introduction of drums, but rap is not a newly-introduced take on instrumentation, it is a 35-year-old artform being introduced as a last ditch effort to save a dying industry. Country rap is not evolution, it”™s devolution by definition. Country music has been trying to evolve for years, but these elements have been pushed into alt-country and Americana, independent and underground channels, as mainstream country favors the quick fix that has done nothing but stultified the music and created an environment of economic uncertainty for the industry.”
BUT, all that said, I don’t think The Mavericks are a case study in true, substantive country evolution like someone like Jason Isbell or other Americana acts are. I think The Mavericks are neo-traditionalists. But like someone like Sturgill Simpson, their doing it with a vitality that makes it feel fresh and relevant. That is the key, and the thing many traditionalist and neo-traditionalist artists are missing. It is also very, very hard to do.
January 7, 2014 @ 2:14 pm
The Mavericks were on a Television show the other night and they were so good I can’t wait to go buy the new music. I still play the older songs over and over and have always loved there music. Can’t get any better than the Mavericks.
January 7, 2014 @ 2:26 pm
No disagreement here. I saw the band live this year and it was the absolute best show I’ve seen in ages and I’ve seen a lot lately. Not country? My sister describes their sound as a little bit Marty Robbins, a little bit Western swing with a little mariachi thrown in.
January 7, 2014 @ 3:14 pm
From the time I first heard “Come Unto Me”, I was resold on The Mavericks, my favorite band of the 90s. I have since bought the CD and gone to two of their live shows, and they are IT. “In Time” is the only CD I have in my car and I can never hear it too many times. Raul’s voice is so under appreciated. It amazes me that there are people in the world who have never heard him or The Mavericks.
January 7, 2014 @ 4:49 pm
One of the real treats when listening to In Time is getting to hear Come Unto Me twice, once in English and another time in Spanish to close out the album. And since we hear it first in English, we non-Spanish speakers know what Raul is singing about in when he sings it in Spanish. One of my favorite songs of 2013.
January 7, 2014 @ 8:37 pm
No complaints as it was #2 on my list. Probably #2 on the times played list for me too.
January 8, 2014 @ 7:08 am
I could listen to these guys all night. Raul is just fantastic, in my book.
January 8, 2014 @ 9:26 am
Boo.
January 8, 2014 @ 12:06 pm
High Top Mountain wasn’t perfect. But it was the perfect choice for AOY.
January 8, 2014 @ 12:21 pm
BTW on the premier of ABC’s new TV Show “Killer Women” The Mavericks were prominently featured including “Come Unto Me” in the first scene of the pilot in the background. Not sure who is the musical director for this so that could be interesting but it was good to hear the Mavericks rather than say FGLon a prime time drama).
(FWIW “Killer Women” seems sort of a generic cop show. However as I’m a total Battlestar Galactica geek I’d watch Tricia Helfer read the phonebook…I’m thinking of this as “Number 6 in a Stetson”)
January 9, 2014 @ 4:54 am
I first heard The Mavericks (I recall) back in the early 80’s. It was evident from the first notes I listened to that these guys were probably going to be something special. Sure enough as their catalog progressed, they just got better and better. I lost track of them for a long time, but after buying tickets to see them live in Halifax, Nova Scotia in late 2013, my expectations – before listening to In Time – were that I would see a typical “reunion” style show with a bunch of past their prime musicians who would no doubt put on a decent performance. Man, was I wrong. From the opening song the were a tour de force of musicianship, vocal excellence and they had the audience in their hand and didn’t let go until the end of their 45 minute encore. My only regret is that I didn’t get to see them earlier. Go see them now, they’re probably as good or better than they’ve ever been.
January 10, 2014 @ 10:21 pm
Now I have to go back and listen to to this album again.
January 24, 2014 @ 7:23 am
I’ve recently gotten into Spotify, which has greatly increased the amount of music I can listen to. Reminds me of the Napster days really.
I stumbled on this album “Flood” by a band Deep Chatham. It might very well be my favorite album of 2013, it is unique, raw, and awesome. I wasn’t even aware of it until about a week ago.
February 22, 2014 @ 11:19 pm
I love them all – but Eddie Perez is awsome in every way,
August 20, 2020 @ 1:19 pm
It’s really interesting to read this in 2020.
High Top Mountain is considered an all-time great album. Southeastern is maybe the most important independent country album of the decade. In Time is… well, I’ve never heard of it, but if it carried the year over High Top Mountain and Southeastern, I’ll have to give it a listen for sure.
But it’s wild how the relative placement of things can change in hindsight.