The offbeat pseudonym belongs to Sturgill Simpson, American country’s most singular star, for whom five albums under one name is enough (he has actually issued seven, two being old songs recast in bluegrass style). His new guise proves deeply ironic, as opener Swamp of Sadness makes clear, with most of the other numbers similarly cast under a pall of heartache, anguish and regret.
Nakedly autobiographical, it’s a deeply emotional journey. Despite numerous accolades, Simpson’s wayward talents have never been a comfortable fit for conservative Nashville. His early records drew comparisons with the “outlaw country” of Waylon Jennings, though imaginative arrangements also cast them as “cosmic country”, while 2019’s Sound and Fury was a blaze of virtuoso guitar shredding.
