Song Review – Dierks Bentley’s “Cold Beer Can” feat. Stephen Wilson Jr.

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Dierks Bentley has always been a bright spot in the mainstream of country, despite some missteps over the years (“Drunk On A Plane” anyone?). Stephen Wilson Jr. has been garnering high praise across the mainstream and independent world by straddling the two as a major label artist who often performs on the independent country circuit.

Dierks and Stephen now join forces on a song co-written between the two men, along with Jon Randall and Luke Dick called “Cold Beer Can.” Though the song deserves credit for the emotional-laden arrangement and the attempt to go deeper than 12 oz., “Cold Beer Can” is ultimately a formulaic beer track front facing with the mainstream country radio world whose sole purpose is to to sell corporate beer and domestic made full-size pickup trucks.

Perhaps in an ideal world, a song like “Cold Beer Can” could live on its own, and free of such severe judgement. But songs like this have been done so many times, and in so many different ways, it’s immediately cliché to the distinguishing ear. The song’s use of the double entendre is very weak—beer “can” and “can” as a verb. And with other buzzy words such as “Keystones” “tall boy,” and “blue collar,” the writing places it in the domain of late stage Bro-Country, which is not a good place for either of these performers to be in.

The song also works to substantiate what Saving Country Music has been saying about Stephen Wilson Jr. for a while, which is despite the album cuts of quality songs and grunge-like production, much of his writing fits the Nashville formula, and folks seem to overlook his co-writes with Old Dominion and Tim McGraw, or the lyrical breakdown of songs like “Holler From The Holler” or “American Gothic” whenever such comparisons are made.

The saving grace of “Cold Beer Can” is the more earthen and organic approach of the track, and specifically Stephen Wilson Jr’s nylon string guitar playing, which is warmly reminiscent of Willie Nelson. Though so many of his own songs devolve into noise, “Cold Beer Can” exposes Wilson Jr,’s capability of defining a melody and interweaving it with a lyric in a way that can draw the emotion out of a song.

The production and arrangement is what gives “Cold Beer Can” it’s weighty, even soulful feel, along with the verses that attempt to interject a little personal aspect to what is otherwise a 2-minute, 44-second radio song.

Dierks Bentley has forged his career by being a pragmatist and bending to the pop whims of Music Row when necessary, and then sliding in his little passion projects like his bluegrass stuff and Hot Country Knights whenever possible. Stephen Wilson Jr. is on the cusp of taking noisy and cantankerous underground-sounding music mainstream.

But both men can frustrate you by not just forgoing all the industry pressures and just doing stuff that feels like the most genuine versions of themselves. Or perhaps this is the most genuine version of themselves, and an element of mass appeal is always present.

“Cold Beer Can” might not even end up being a proper radio single. But it encapsulates so much about these two artists in one song.

5/10





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