Stephanie Blair | Staff Writer
On Jan. 15, Rusty Clanton released his EP “Big Bear, Little Bear.” The Tennessee-native singer-songwriter has grown a substantial following in the last five years through YouTube and touring with the likes of Tessa Violet, dodie and Emma Blackery.
For those unfamiliar with his work, when Clanton asked his fans on Twitter to name other acts that his work sounds similar to, followers listed acts from Vance Joy to Bonnie Tyler, from Bon Iver to Sleeping at Last and Passenger.
This addition to Clanton’s discography brings a new aspect to his work: more complex arrangements. Typically, Clanton’s recordings have a fairly low production value on the instrumental side of things — his vocal arrangements are more processed or layered, with many a self-made harmony to be found. However, this new album incorporates piano, keyboard and drums, among other things. All of this new for fans of the folk-turned-indie rock singer.
Though all of the tracks bring something to the EP, “Comfort” is, by far, the best of the seven. Tackling themes of loneliness, faith and the road to self-growth, the vocals and melody carry the otherwise minimal lyrics.
However, “Dirty Words” comes in at a close second place. An upbeat sounding, jarringly juxtaposed piece about breaking up, the song is a true gem for those who have lived through the same experience: “If one more person tells me / ‘hey listen, man, at least I bet you’ll get some good songs out of it’ / I’ll sell my things / and drive my car as far out west as it will go / and keep on going if I can”.
If I were to have a complaint, it would be that the songs don’t flow in a connected way, which I only want because I’ve come to expect it, since his last EP did that so well.
Clanton’s last EP “Calm and Normal,” was released in 2016. Though the two EPs are not distinct from each other thematically, this album holds the production value that “Novels” brought to the table in every song.
For those looking for an easy listen, “Big Bear, Little Bear” is an excellent choice. For longtime fans, it’s a signal of big things to come from Rusty Clanton in the coming years. As a longtime fan of the person and faithful listener of his music, I could not be more heartened by Clanton’s latest effort.
Contact the author at sblair13@wou.edu
Photo by: rustyclanton.bandcamp.com
