Buck Meek Stays Intimate In "Buck Meek"

When country music meets folk music, you can certainly expect a story to be told. That's exactly what Buck Meek makes certain of in his latest record. Buck Meek stays intimate in Buck Meek, his eponymous new record that takes a somber but meaningful path to solving inner turmoil.

Buck Meek is very lowkey, but with its sound it says a lot. 'Joe By The Book' brings the record to a chill start, nothing but his metaphorical lyrics and acoustic guitar opening the record. 'Cannonball!' brings in more elements with wavering guitars and a light drum beat, introducing a light drive. There's never a very active drive, but there's always just enough to keep things moving forward. Songs like 'Maybe' have a bit of activity going on, but even the more full beat and layered guitars don't lead into something very energetic.

The dejected nature of the record plays towards its overall message. There's an overarching sense of longing and defeat on the album, but there's also some hope. 'Ruby' is a very intimate track, singing about the allure of love itself. It feels like as the record goes on, Buck Meek gets ever more broken down. 'Flight 9525' is much more sad, with a very longing atmosphere. It's followed by the rundown 'Exit 7 Roses,' which then precedes the dejected 'Swan Dive.' By the end of the record, what brings Buck Meek down becomes a temptation: 'Fool Me' is a tantalizing warning, as if its challenging someone to come and take advantage of his weak heart. It's an interesting end to a record that longs for a connection, but perhaps it's asking for anything to come his way rather than nothing.

Buck Meek stays intimate in Buck Meek, his eponymous record that longs for a connection but never seems to find it, giving himself up just for the sake of having something. There's nothing that really reels you in on the record, but something about it feels very relatable. It's almost as if it's the sound of wanting a connection. That's something everyone knows at some point.

Favorite Track: Swan Dive

Least Favorite Track: Cannonball!

Rating: 65 / 100

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