Good things aren’t always the result when people known to be stellar television or film actors spread their creative wings with singing and songwriting. While one would think that such masters of character adaptation and vocal deliveries would make a seamless transition between the two art forms, it has often been shown through various actors that talent for one does not necessarily equate to talent for the other. Thankfully for us, dear reader, Kiefer Sutherland’s latest foray into music is not only tolerable but often quite good. Grey, his latest record due out on 29 May, reveals a top-rated actor finding his strongest musical voice within the realms of rural, bucolic sounds.
For those unfamiliar with Sutherland as a singer, the opening track, “Come Down”, is a darker, swampy, slow-burning tune that is well-suited for a first listen. There is no novelty of “hearing an actor sing” that might be expected, as his voice sounds natural to the dark vibe, showing him to be the experienced singer that he is. The track is similar to and may appeal to fans of Gregory Alan Isakov with its lonely, minimalist, heartland feel.
“Simpler Time”, one of the two early released singles, kicks things up a few notches to an upbeat sing-along that would mix well with salt-of-the-earth people and flowing beer on a well-deserved weekend in any country barroom. While the cadence of the song rolls along at such a pace, the lyrical content sounds personal and reflective as a sort of longing for lost youth, while at the same time recognising that all of this can only be wishful nostalgia. Sutherland reveals his songwriting prowess on this track, which could be comparable to one of Tom Petty’s more prominent cuts.
“Goodbye California” is perhaps the most “college radio” sounding track on the album. It has an energetic guitar component that sounds subtly mixed with a vague country flavour reminiscent of college rock staples such as REM and The Long Ryders. There’s just enough upbeat jangle to make it a single and enough abstraction to make it fit in well with the record’s other tracks.
Classic country themes such as self-loathing, mortality and general downtrodden souls lubricated with alcohol are all present here. “Starlight” is the kind of storytelling Sutherland has done well in past albums, and it works here. “The Bottle Let Me Down” is a dark classic tale of unsuccessfully trying to drink someone out of your mind, complete with secondary cowboy-sounding vocals. “Cruel World” sounds like a well-done piece of nostalgia harkening back to the songs of 50s country artists.
Sutherland shows himself to be an apt troubadour throughout the record, whether dipping his toes into folk, Americana or country tones. There is an air of authenticity to his presentation that one would not expect from someone who has been as immersed in Hollywood as he has. The record is primarily of a confessional, reflective tone and rings honest in a way that doesn’t sound contrived or false. The general nature of the record makes us forget Sutherland the actor and helps us to clearly hear Sutherland the singer/songwriter. A daunting task this may be for some actors, but Sutherland does it convincingly on a record that is well worth multiple listens.