Gary Clark Jr. Hits a Home Run With New Album, This Land
By: Hailey Hale
It is very rare that an artist hits a homerun with all the songs on their album, either lacking in meaningful lyrics, a sound that captures the listeners ear, or overall composition, but Gary Clark Jr. has managed to do just that. With songs that make you question society and a deeply rooted soul sound, This Land is an album that is as close to perfection that one can get. This album is one that every American should listen to, and we hope that when February 22 rolls around you will treat yourself to the beautiful music that is This Land.
Gary Clark Jr. is no doubt a legendary musician, and with fans like Barack Obama and Beyonce it’s hard not to see what all the hype is about. His music tells the harrowing tale of the dark side of America, calling attention to issues often overlooked in day to day life. It demands justice for minorities and peace for all, and This Land is a spectacular show of activism that grabs the attention of the listener and challenges them to turn a deaf ear on all that he is conveying. His lyrics have a purpose, and that purpose is driven home by his soulful voice that reveals the raw emotion of all that he is singing about. His voice carries the stories of all the people who have suffered oppression, and let them know that he knows the anguish that they are going through and will stop at nothing until their stories are known and accepted.
The lyrics are not the only impressive thing about the album, because without the seizing soul/jazz sound that he effortlessly performs, the music would be drab and boring. His music has deep African ties and always has an unrelenting beat that keeps the listener on the edge of their seat until the very last second. Clark Jr. has an unending amount of talent to display, as he has written, produced, and played most of the album. His impressive credits on This Land showcase the he is this generations musical prodigy. With most of the songs on this album being over three minutes, some artists would find it hard to hold a listener's attention for that long, but Clark Jr. has showed he has an affinity for making long songs interesting and arresting. From the moment ‘This Land’ hits its first chord, the music holds you in it’s fist and won’t let you go until the final chord of ‘Dirty Dishes Blues’, and even after the album is over you won’t be able to stop hearing the alluring blues sounds of This Land.
Gary Clark Jr. is a master of his craft, and has put his heart and soul into the creation of this album. He left nothing on the table and has unapologetically voiced what others haven’t dared to. So when This Land hits its official release date on February 22, be sure that you are one of the first people to hear this monumental album, because this will be an album talked about for generations.