Jason Boland & The Stragglers: The Light Saw Me (Thirty Tigers)

Jason Boland & The Stragglers

The Light Saw Me

Thirty Tigers

Dec 13, 2021 Web Exclusive By Austin Saalman

Fundamentally the tale of a 19th century Texan cowboy transported one hundred years into the future as a result of an extraterrestrial abduction, Jason Boland & The Stragglers’ Red Dirt country concept album The Light Saw Me explores heavier topics less typical of modern country music. Astrobiological postulations, reflections on love, theology and consciousness, and observations on humankind’s place in and out of time are all woven into the lyrical fabric, setting a fairly high creative bar. While such an ambitious feat may initially seem a tall order, one must consider Boland’s vast musical knowledge and loyal devotion to his respective genre. This, coupled with the songwriting expertise the Oklahoma native summons from his fellow Stragglers, along with the Grammy-winning talents of producer/collaborator Shooter Jennings, renders The Light Saw Me an enjoyable listening experience—even for those not entirely sold on its considerably lofty premise.

Musically, the sound is tight and rich in atmosphere, something to be expected of Boland and The Stragglers, whose track record of solid recordings and critical acclaim dates back 20+ years. Lyrically, the album is far breezier than one might anticipate, Boland wisely having decided to embrace an appropriate sense of weirdness, sentimentality, and adventure, thus rescuing him from the seemingly bottomless pit of overt philosophical pretension into which so many otherwise great artists before him have fallen.

Peppered with eerie excerpts read by writer and podcaster Ken Layne, The Light Saw Me often feels like the musical recitation of some long-circulated urban legend born in a dusty, one-stoplight American town. Opening track “Terrifying Nature” sees Boland and The Stragglers kick their signature stomp into full gear, consistently maintaining their twang and Western kick while experimenting with elements of neo-psychedelia and hard rock. Of course, as both cult country act and proud heartlanders, Boland and The Stragglers pay loyal homage to fellow outlaw performers—a worthy cover of the late Bob Childers’ “Restless Spirits” is included among the album’s tracks—with many of said influences being evident on songs such as “A Tornado & The Fool” and “Future.” Meanwhile, the title track and Layne-narrated jams “Transmission Out” and “Transition In” explore the promised plane of cosmic desert mysticism. The album’s ultimate strength, however, exists within its tender ballads “Right Here for You” and “A Place to Stay,” on which the protagonist is afforded an ample amount of honest, human introspection.

In the end, The Light Saw Me succeeds, and for fans of the genre, shouldn’t fail to please. Boland and company waste no time on pandering to pop audiences, which may be perceived as both a virtue and hindrance—their sound is raw, rootsy, and steeped in the sort of rugged Americana that once set their influences apart from the pack. Boland and his group are intelligent songwriters and able progressive country musicians who have finally risen from the depths, but more importantly, they appear to enjoy their work. Beneath the numerous ideas and purposes on The Light Saw Me, the group’s sense of humor is ever-present, reminding the listener that things are never as they seem and, when they happen to be, not to take them too seriously. This air of humility, along with such solid musicianship, is exactly what makes the premise of an ontological science fiction Texas Country album as believable as it is. (www.thestragglers.com)

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