Lori McKenna - The Bird & The Rifle (1 LP - 2016 Pressing)
Sometimes life hands you a gift, and as I told my Little League teams: “When you’re given a gift, you say ‘thank you’ and don’t ask questions.” Being introduced to Lori McKenna through a performance at the Groton Music Center in Massachusetts was one such gift for me.
First of all, Lori is one of those musicians that once you learn about them, you slowly start finding out how impactful they have been across the industry, you just didn’t know it. Think: John Legend before he started singing his own music or Charlie Puth making beats and songs for others that turn into massive hits. Like Lori McKenna, they have finally become known for their brilliance through their own performances and how lucky we all are to receive that gift.
The Bird & The Rifle is the kind of album where you sit down and feel like you’re sitting in the same room with Lori. It is filled with slow, poignant, and melodically beautiful songs that suck you in, break your heart, and leave you in tears. If you can make it through the first side dry-eyed, you’re stronger than I am. It starts out the gate with “Wreck You,” follows it with “The Bird and The Rifle” and then finishes you off with “Humble and Kind.” I’ve probably listened to this album on vinyl over 20 times since purchasing it and it kills me each and every time. Each and every time.
Speaking of the first side, the title track has the line that kills me the most, “Something about the bird in her, spreading her wings…always brings the rifle out in him.” Here’s the thing, and for all the guys out there reading this, I don’t know about you, but I think one of the greatest privileges that I’ve had in my life is that in any romantic relationship that I’ve had with a woman, my greatest fear has been that relationship ending in emotional scars. I’ve never worried about the rifle coming out in her. Lori’s ability to put me into her shoes both rattles me, but also makes me grateful and angry at the same time. Lean in and listen to it once to learn the song. Listen to it again to fully understand.
Side one ends with a song that has earned praise across the music world through the release by Tim McGraw that won a Grammy for Best Country Song, and a CMA as Song of the Year. On this album, McKenna gets her due and shares her version of the song, a much more stark and vulnerable version. McGraw’s song is exceptional as the awards all prove, but McKenna’s is personal. It’s a song she wrote for her family of all the things she wanted to tell them. It has also been turned into a book which sits on a shelf in my office and serves a reminder for me when times get difficult.
The second side does an excellent job of stepping into the fray with side one. It continues with vocally driven tracks like “We Were Cool,” “Old Men Young Women,” and ends with “If Whiskey Were a Woman.” They feel dangerously personal and intimate. There are songs like “All These Things” that start to dip a toe into heavier instrumentation, but it’s songs like “Always Want You” where the instruments often fade behind McKenna’s vocals and lyrics that really showcase her ability to draw you in and break your heart again. Stark guitar chords and simple drum beats allow you to immerse yourself into her words as you feel deeply connected to Lori.
Maybe you’re a better person than I am and you’ve already fallen in love with Lori McKenna’s music. If so, a tip of the cap to you. If not, then you’re welcome. I’m glad to have given you this gift. Now your job is to say “thank you” and don’t ask questions.