REVIEW: Lindley Creek — Too Bad You’re No Good (SINGLE)
Family band Lindley Creek reinvigorates bluegrass music with their sassy new single “Too Bad You’re No Good.” Formed over a decade ago when John and Kathie Greer needed music that wasn’t talking about cheating or drinking to play around their kids. That desire led them to find (and fall in love with) bluegrass. Over the last decade the Greer family has been perfecting their skills and performing at local venues until they decided to commit to making music as a group. With one album under their belt Lindley Creek is traveling and bringing modern bluegrass to people all over the country. Made up of John, Kathie, Katie, and Jase, Lindley Creek blends the classic acoustic twang of bluegrass with sharp and edgy lyrics expertly sung by Katie. “Too Bad You’re No Good” is as lively and scathing (in a good way) as it sounds.
FACEBOOK: https://www.facebook.com/LindleyCreek/
From the moment “Too Bad You’re No Good” starts you know you’re in for something you’ve never heard before. The sound of the acoustic strings set the scene with a melodic romp that seems to cradle Katie’s voice. The twang of the mandolin and crooning of the fiddle seem to transport you to a muggy summer night somewhere in the South. I couldn’t help but feel like I was watching them live every time I listened to this track. One of the most tantalizing aspects of “Too Bad You’re No Good” is that it sounds and feels like Katie is telling you a story. The song is about a girl reflecting on her relationship with a man who isn’t good for her. It quickly paints a picture of a man who seems to only spread chaos and grief wherever he goes, even though he promises nothing but love. Katie adds so much emotion to “Too Bad You’re No Good,” that balances the familiar sounds of bluegrass with a modern vocal performance. The result is a captivating lost-love song that isn’t afraid to call someone out.
“Too Bad You’re No Good’s” lyrics are front and center. The acoustic plucking in the background opens the track for Katie to come in and say what’s on her mind. “Too Bad You’re No Good” is able to paint a picture of a scenario I’ve seen so many times before in a refreshing way. “You smile like an angel, lie like a rug,” is how Katie describes the man in question and immediately I know this type of guy. The digs aren’t scathing but they tell you exactly who this guy is and how he operates. This lyric concisely conveys the wishy-washy nature of this guy,“Call the preacher, call the police/With a man like you its always famine or feast.” I was so impressed by the sense familiarity I experienced when I listened to “Too Bad You’re No Good” I found myself hitting replay the moment it ended. Not only did I feel like Katie was telling me a story, I felt like she was guiding me on a trip down memory lane. I was remembering men from my hometown that had reputations that proceeded them and the fallout that followed them more than their shadows did. We’ve all known “that guy” but Lindley Creek has found a way to make a classic trope sound brand new.
If you don’t know, a principle of bluegrass is that its played on acoustic string instruments. It also is more high energy due to the fact that its performed off-beat. “Too Bad You’re No Good” pairs the energized nature of bluegrass with a steady melody that supports Katie’s vocals. I noticed a progression over the course of “Too Bad You’re No Good” that I wasn’t expecting. Towards the end of the track the instruments seem to deepen. “Too Bad You’re No Good” begins with a very upbeat feeling to it and ends with a slightly deeper and more spread out sound to it, incorporating that classic lonesome sound that bluegrass does so well. It seems that the more that Katie reflects on this past love, the more that the sound seems to respond to her. The melody slows down and the instruments swells towards the end of the track for their closing notes before fading out. The result? Magic.
Lindley Creek gives a powerhouse performance on their latest single “Too Bad You’re No Good.” They’ll make you reconsider the meaning of a “family band” and make you jump on the Bluegrass train, if you weren’t already on it. “Too Bad You’re No Good” masterfully captures a tale of lessons learned to the mesmerizing sound that only acoustic strings can deliver. Lindley Creek is bringing bluegrass into the modern music scene with ease. “Too Bad You’re No Good” is such a perfect blend of the past and the present of bluegrass and makes me wonder what else Lindley Creek has up their sleeve.
Colin Jordan
