Published on Mar 24, 2006
Greg Trooper’s last name is an apt description for
his music — while it may be musically married to country and folk
downbeats, it’s lyrically upbeat, almost as if Trooper has seen the
depression and is ready to face the world again. “I just need some
time to shake off half a century / Back in the world I’ll climb /
Once I dream away these blues,” he sings in the opening number, and
he sounds like he means it.
Trooper’s voice is a pleasant mix between Randy
Newman and any modern country singer you can think of — Travis
Tritt, for example. His music plays like that as well, blending
country and folk with soul and pop, and those upbeat lyrics are
certainly a welcome listen in the post-9/11 music scene. Even the
admissions of defeat — “When I go to meet my maker / And she says
I’ve got to choose / Give the girl the rhythm / I’ll take the
blues” — sound fun, like Trooper is smiling as he gives up his
life for the girl in “This I’d Do.”
The smoky ambience of the disc would fit in perfectly
at a coffeeshop or summer folk festival, and that’s likely who this
disc will appeal to. Trooper has no overarching hook that will
appeal him to the mainstream — he’s too laid-back and folk-ish to
be on country radio, but too confessional to be mainstream easy
listening. Those into Greg Brown and the folk scene will get the
most out of this, but country listeners who enjoy a bit of
variation on their genre will enjoy this as well.
None of the songs overstay their welcome, but they
don’t branch out either from basic singer/songwriter territory.
Trooper offers some pleasant solos and his rhythm section is
competent but unchallenging, sounding a bit like the Eagles on some
tracks, especially the title track. But as on his Sugar Hill debut
Floating, Trooper is always able to retain a sort of
detached commentary on his vocals — he never sounds emotional,
instead shooting for confessional, and it suits his style well.
The most lyrically potent moment is “No Higher
Ground,” about a flood in Galveston, while the most musically
interesting is “When I Think Of You,” the most countrified song on
the disc. “Close To The Tracks” also is a strong number that
recalls Bruce Springsteen, while “Lonesome For You Now” is the most
wistful Trooper ever gets, and his confession is more heartfelt
than most of his contemporaries.
Unfortunately, Make It Through This World ends
up being too subdued for its own good. None of the songs are
particularly memorable on first listen, and Trooper never varies
his style of singing or his backing band too much – with all the
styles present, something should be more arresting. It sounds nice
as it plays, and the man can write good lyrics, but the disc never
really takes off beyond anything more than competent.