There’s a memorable scene in the movie Gone With the Wind, where Scarlett O’Hara’s father says to his daughter “land is the only thing in the world worth working for, worth fighting for, worth dying for, because it’s the only thing that lasts.” He goes on to say “the land they live on is like their mother.”
I was reminded of this quote as I listened to Dean Brody’s new album Dirt. Brody relates a story in a press release for Dirt. He describes how he had been travelling non-stop on tour, moving through busy airports and along highways until finally, he was back in Canada. Brody was going through Saskatchewan when he spied an old truck rusting out in a wheat field. He pulled off of the pavement onto a dirt road to take a closer look. Suddenly he was overcome by emotion and his vision blurred – Brody realized that it was the first dirt road he had been on in over a year – and it reminded him of home.
Perhaps Brody, like Scarlett’s father, realized that the land is like a mother and the environment where you grow up shapes you as much as society does. It nurtures your soul to return to it as well. Brody spent time living in different cities as he developed his craft. His last disc Trail in Life reflected the influences of different places, memories and friends. The new disc Dirt continues that vein especially in the way Brody details his songs and infuses his characters with life, making the listener feel a part of that journey. “I was a little concerned that Trail in Life would be tough to beat but I think Dirt will do it,” says Brody. “The songs are progressing. I wrote traditional songs for this record but I also got to explore the edge of the genre more.”
Recorded at Sound Stage Studios and Curb Studios in Nashville with longtime producer/mixer Matt Rovey, Brody’s third release plays like a slideshow of mental images. The first single, “Canadian Girls,” became his fastest rising single and topped the charts at country radio – becoming the first Canadian song to hit number one since Terri Clark’s “In My Next Life” in February 2008.
The fun continues on the album with “It’s Friday” which features guest appearances from members of Great Big Sea and “That’s Your Cousin” – a song about the perils of small town life. The eleven songs on the disc offer both playful and poignant moments and they showcase Brody’s skills as songwriter and storyteller. Dirt will certainly continue the wave of success that Brody is currently riding. Last fall, he won Canadian Country Music Awards (CCMAs) for album, single and songwriter of the year for his work on Trail of Life. He earned a Juno nomination for country album of the year and Brody became the most played Canadian artist of 2011 at country radio.
This summer, Brody will be appearing at major festivals across Canada such as the Craven County Jamboree, Cavendish Beach Music Festival and Ottawa’s Capital Hoedown. As Brody crosses the land once again to promote Dirt, it will feel like a mother (earth) and child reunion.
For complete tour information, please check Brody’s website.
Tracklisting:
01. Dirt
02. It’s Friday (featuring Great Big Sea)
03. Underneath the Apple Trees
04. Rural Route #3
05. Canadian Girls
06. Flowers in Her Hands
07. The Sleeping Bag Song
08. That’s Your Cousin
09. Bob Marley Prelude
10. Bob Marley
11. Losing My Balance
12. Nowhere USA
Related:
Dean Brody shares his shuffle playlist
