Skepticism is only natural when an artist announces a genre switch. Some see such moves as attempts to stay relevant, others see moves as a mere marketing ploy, a move to cash in. Such views were vocally voiced when Aerosmith frontman Steven Tyler announced that his new record would be a country record. Yet, We’re All Somebody From Somewhere effortlessly quashes such arguments with a collection of some finely crafted country songs which contain as much heart as they do twang.A lot of artists try to blend Rock and Roll and country together, with varying levels of success. Naturally Tyler pulls it off – what else would you expect from him?
‘My Own Worst Enemy’ is perhaps not the best album opener. It’s a slow track and for any skeptics listening, they may falsely believe that Tyler’s interpretation of country music is that of the infamous stereotype that the genre is all about songs about tough times. The song is good but definitely not representative of the whole album. The title track has the sort of swagger that Tyler is famous for (this song would have been a better choice to begin the album on) and ‘I Make My Own Sunshine is this reviewer’s personal favorite, a lovely carefree song which you can’t help but feel that this song is Tyler’s ode to the naysayers of this chapter of his storied career, as he sings on the chorus, It don’t matter if it’s raining, nothing can phase me, I make my own sunshine.
‘Only Heaven’ is slightly reminiscent to the iconic Aerosmith track, ‘I Don’t Want to Miss a Thing’ yet it is by no means a carbon copy, nor is that a detriment to the track with Tyler’s vocals just as strong now as they were then, a clear sign that the man is showing no signs of slowing down. ‘The Good, The Bad, The Ugly & Me’ follows (for those who listen in track album order) and is rockier, a lovely example of the versatility offered on the record.
There are a plentiful fifteen tracks on offer, all of a very, very high standard. I personally was surprised by the high quality of this album and I was very much excited about this release when it was announced. I suspect others – including and especially those skeptics – will also be pleasantly surprised.
We're All Somebody From Somewhere is available from July 15th.
