Back in 2022, singer songwriter Ken Newman released ‘What Am I Afraid Of?’, an album loaded with thoughtful, narrative pieces that chimed with an increasingly uneasy world. Between the roots rock sounds of ‘Nothing To See Here’, the politically charged ‘I Can’t Breathe’ and ‘I Dream of Guns’, and the retro power pop meets Americana sounds of ‘Away From You’, the album showcased a thoughtful wordsmith, adrift in an ever failing US. For those not into lyrical concerns, Ken ensured the music was always of a standard that allowed the songs to flow on their own terms, presenting a great arranger at work.
Four years on, Newman’s current single ‘Who Are The Bad Guys’ is a little smoother, but no less lyrically pointed. He sings of people wrapping themselves in flags and kneeling at crowns, clearly not understanding the damage they’re doing, how the “rich grow fat” and “the poor inherit chains”, as the US backpedals apace. He eventually unveils a hook where the heroes are worn down with “bloodshot eyes”. Even more tellingly, the protagonist suggests he hasn’t just sat complacently and watched this happen; he tells of how he “signed his name silently…hoping to do his best” in an allusion to how voting doesn’t necessarily turn out for the best, and how hoping for safety just didn’t pay off…and now everyone pays.
Musically, this is lovely. The angry/disillusioned lyric is offset by a smooth arrangement where adult pop meets Americana, and Newman peppers a really melodic tune with a wealth of fingerpicked acoustic notes. The melodic backdrop is smarter than most of the music present on his previous album, with strong hints of solo Mark Knopfler colouring his sound. It has a familiarity, but is actually perfect for the lyric in hand, which Newman delivers with a world weariness that would be a natural fit for Willie Nelson.
Take a listen below.
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