Shaboozey's new album, The Outlaw Cherie Lee & Other Western Tales, is a striking 20-track concept album that solidifies his place in country music. Released two years after his breakout success with A Bar Song (Tipsy), which has amassed over 1.75 billion streams on Spotify and became the joint longest-running US No. 1, the album features cinematic interludes, narration by Jamie Foxx, Teyana Taylor, and Sam Elliott, and a three-issue comic.
A Bold Concept Album
The album blends orchestral, ambient, and Pink Floyd-y interludes with weeping pedal steel, creating a darkly atmospheric sound. It includes collaborations with rapper Gunna on High Noon, R&B star Kehlani on Bullets and Blades, and Leon Bridges on Burn It Down. The closing track is a traditional cowboy ballad Streets of Laredo sung by Orville Peck.
Shaboozey's previous album, Where I've Been, Isn't Where I'm Going, was a successful fusion of hip-hop and country, remaining on the US chart 112 weeks after release. He received three nominations at the Country Music Awards, a historically resistant institution to artists of color.
Country's Rich Concept Album History
Country music has a long tradition of concept albums, predating rock. Marty Robbins' Gunfighter Ballads and Trail Songs (1959) and Johnny Cash's Bitter Tears (1964) are early examples. Willie Nelson's Red Headed Stranger (1975) is often voted the greatest country album of all time. Shaboozey's album fits into this canon, though it includes heavily Auto-Tuned rap verses and pop-leaning tracks.
Standout Tracks and Themes
Tracks like Cowgirl and Born to Die attempt to replicate the success of A Bar Song (Tipsy), while If I Was an Outlaw features saloon-bar piano and Sweet Revenge goes country rock. The album's predominant mode is stark and brooding, driven by fingerpicked acoustic guitar and fiddle. Drunk is particularly darkly atmospheric and powerful. However, some critics note that dialing down rap influences reduces Shaboozey's unique selling point, though excitement returns on Til Sunday with a hip-hop-inspired delivery.
Eclecticism and Longevity
The album showcases Shaboozey's eclecticism, drawing in R&B, soul, and hip-hop artists. The overarching storyline is tight and well-handled. The album never feels like the work of an artist destabilized by a huge hit, but rather an artist digging in for the long haul. According to Alexis Petridis, "the pop-facing tracks hit, the strike rate when he diversifies is higher than his naysayers would suggest."
