There's no musical slight of hand occurring here, and no incredible production job. There is simply a group of super-gifted songsmiths with an uncanny knack for putting just the right words to just the right music.
DBT represent the melding of Skynnrd-inspired Southern Rock with a northern/western/eastern indie rock sensibility. But where they depart from current indie rock - and where they earn the title of Best Band In America - is with their lyrics. DBT do not traffic in irony, or witty turns of phrase. Their lyrics are literal; you know exactly what they're talking about. It's this ability to articulate their thoughts in a down home, funny, poignant and more than anything human manner that puts them far ahead of their peers.
I challenge anyone to read this horrifying story about the murder of ex-House Of Freaks singer Bryan Harvey and his family, then listen to "Two Daughters And A Beautiful Wife" from Brighter Than Creation's Dark, and not shed a tear. Of course, the story itself is an unfathomably sad tragedy, but the way in which Patterson Hood answers the event - not with righteous anger or calls for blood, but with a heartbreaking vision of Harvey and his family - is truly poetic.
Two other songs on BTCD deal with the emotional and mental cost of the war in Iraq, a topic that most American bands seem to avoid like the plague. "That Man I Shot" is a harrowing first person account (with an awesome Afghan Whigs-inspired riff) of the enduring horrors of war, while "The Home Front" is a Springsteenian portrait of a wife and mom struggling to keep it together in the face of her husband's deployment. In both cases, Hood paints detailed portraits of lives torn asunder by a morally ambiguous war. [NOTE: for another heartbreaking commentary on the Iraq conflict and its aftermath, check out "Dress Blues" from ex-DBT Jason Isbell's album Sirens Of The Ditch. It's one of my favorite records of the year.]
I could go on with my praise for DBT and try to convince you of their greatness, but it's late and I gotta work in the morning (I'm sure Patterson could write a great song about that). The band is currently headed to the West Coast with another lyrically gifted American band, The Hold Steady. Do yourself and favor and check 'em out. ~ Tim
