Tag: Beau Jennings & The Tigers

Oklahoma-based act, Beau Jennings & The Tigers return this month with an LP of all-new material, American Stories Major Chords.

Coming in at eleven tracks, the latest record from the five-piece outfit serves as a showcase for the songs of band leader and rhythm guitarist, Beau Jennings. Bolstered by the tastefully executed musical choices of The Tigers, Jennings’ ruminations of life, love, infrastructure, and everything in between, are provided an apposite platform for enjoyment and assessment by listeners of all kinds.

Opening number, ‘Oklahoma Heat’ is one of a number of character-driven songs to be found throughout American Stories Major Chords. The tune paints a picture of working class folks attempting to navigate the stresses of life while continuing to put food on the table – oft-explored lyrical territory in the Americana and Heartland subgenres.

One unifying characteristic amongst many individuals who grew up in rural and/or southern regions of the United States, one might argue, is an inherent pride and sense of loyalty to one’s “home territory”, whether that be a particular  allegiance to a street, city, state, the country itself, or all of the above. A not-so-frequently assessed element of this relationship with one’s environment is the internal conflict which can emerge with regard to the aforementioned sense of loyalty when the time comes to grapple with the more unsavory aspects of said environment.

This dynamic informs ‘Oklahoma Heat’, which sees the central character of the song navigating extreme conditions – one-hundred-plus-degree heat, in the case of the song specifically – while attempting to provide for himself and his family. It’s a significant dichotomy, particularly when one considers the degree to which individuals are generally willing to turn a blind eye to the negative aspects of an idea to which they have committed themselves.

The title track, ‘American Stories Major Chords’ makes an early appearance here, and funnily enough,  benefits greatly from a minor chord motif to which the band frequently returns. That, in tandem with a nifty C#-B-C# run, allows this brief section to function as an engine of sorts for the track.

While the song itself isn’t that far removed from the Bruce Springsteen vein of American songwriting, the vocal delivery is more closely akin to a Morrisey-style croon. Interesting lyrical tidbits and variations make this an especially interesting one to revisit for repeat listens.

For example, “I can think of a thousand reasons to leave, and one or two to stay,” is likely to hit home for many listeners, as it eloquently encapsulates the bargaining and borderline self-deception at play when we’re attempting to justify the worst of our own impulses. Shortly afterward, the line is restructured and recontextualized as, “I had about a thousand things to say, and only one or two were clear”.

American Stories Major Chords is not all character and story songs, however. Singer-songwriter Beau Jennings appears here not only to be writing from the heart, but to be inserting a fair amount of himself and his own experiences into the songs as well. These elements are more readily apparent in tracks such as ‘Broken Angel’ and ‘Boston Avenue.’

Late-album cut, ‘Norman Nights’ injects a degree of funk into the proceedings in what proves to be one of the more danceable numbers throughout the record. A tongue in cheek ode to the college town of Norman in Jennings’ native Oklahoma, the track harkens back to a time of seemingly endless possibilities and limited perspective.

American Stories Major Chords provides a thoughtful slice of Americana-tinged songwriting that could be characterised as, “a thinking man’s heartland” music. While true to its title to an extent, the record also provides adventurous explorations both lyrical and musical which very much substantiate the project as its own distinct statement of artistic intent.

Cameron Gunnoe

Artist’s website: https://beaujennings.bandcamp.com/album/american-stories-major-chords

Album trailer: