Songs about environmental issues are, unsurprisingly, given the way we treat the world, on the rise, though not all of them are global stories; some, like this new one from Cox County Clappers, are based on local struggles, but, of course, they still act as perfect microcosms of the bigger picture.
“Tully Jackson’s Hill” is the story of the struggle between reckless mining practices and those who are prepared to stand up to the machine… literally… a story that threads through issues of environmental protection, unchecked corporate greed, labor wars, Appalachian culture, and the idea of community.
And as it grows from a back-porch bluegrass jam into a low-slung slice of rock and roll, it embodies a sense of place. This is the sound of blue-collar, backwoods, Appalachian mountain rock, a band with one foot on the monitor and one fist in the air.
Riffs are raw, grooves are infectious, the dynamic shifts from lulling lows to sonic crescendos as the narrative requires, and a hailing harmonica adds a taste of the wilderness. But this is offset by some gorgeous harmonies and muscular melodies, and the result is brilliant.
Some music merely entertains, some enlightens, and some acts as a rallying cry against the big machine. “Tully Jackson’s Hill” manages to be all three.
