CD Review: Get Off on the Pain by Gary Allan
Gary Allan has consistently produced solid country music, and his newest album, Get Off on the Pain, shows that he still knows how to make a decent record.
Allan’s sound has always been more like Merle Haggard than Rascal Flatts, and he continues to stick to this traditional style. His lyrics touch on lost love, dysfunctional relationships and rambling men. It is classic country material.
“Get Off on the Pain” opens the record, and rightfully so. The song seems to sum up Allan’s entire career, which he has built on singing about the pain of life. The song itself is forgettable, and the singer’s voice gets lost somewhat in the blaring guitar mix, but the lyrics set the tone for the rest of the album.
The first radio single, “Today,” is a prime example of this and shows how relevant his music is. In the song, a man is lamenting loss on his ex-lover’s wedding day. Who hasn’t watched their ex with another man and felt that intense regret?
This is Gary Allan’s music at its most basic. His manly demeanor covers the immense vulnerability of his songs and he uses his smoky barroom voice to belt tunes that are both emotionally wrenching and real.
The first half of the album is nothing special, except for the above mentioned “Today” and the spectacular “Kiss Me When I’m Down.” Think Randy Rogers in “One More Goodbye” if he spent all night smoking cigarettes before singing. The song is a perfect case of the train wreck relationship that you just can’t give up.
The strength of Get Off on the Pain is in the second half, because Gary Allan had a hand in co-writing the later songs. From the reformed rambler-begging-for-forgiveness on “Along the Way” to a loyal husband keeping the spark alive on “We Fly By Night,” Allan does an excellent job wrapping up the album.
Is his newest work perfect? Far from it. But Get Off on the Pain is a welcome addition to the mainstream country scene. The attitude harkens back to a harder-edged country. If Gary Allan would emphasize this more, then his work would really stand out because his raspy voice works best on no-holds-barred country songs or when he is singing bluesy ballads.
The biggest problem with this recent release is that the backing mix often overwhelms the songs. If the producers had turned it down a little and let Allan’s voice shine, it would have been a much more formidable album. Give the man a simple guitar and he’ll do wonders with the rawness, but throw in backing string sections and blaring productions and you get the mixed bag that is Get Off on the Pain.
2.5 out of 5 Stars