Dustin The Wind

This is a picture of Dustin Lynch. He’s a handsome man. Handsomer than most, I venture to say. 

He’s the type of guy who could probably get by on his looks alone. He doesn’t have to, however; he’s been blessed with a great voice too. And he’s a singer! Dustin Lynch has made good life choices. 

His first album was pretty darn good. It had some hits on it. He toured and became popular. His music could be characterized as good ole boy country music. His first album was titled Dustin Lynch.

His second album was OK. His popularity continued to grow. His music was considerably more pop-oriented. His second album’s title came from the biggest hit off it: Where’ It’s At.

Hi third album just came out. He’s a pertty popular dude. The music on his new album is best described as synth pop. Its title is Current Mood.

Dear Dustin Lynch: you need to re-evaluate your life choices. Specifically, your management, record company, and everyone associated with the decision to use this album title and this photo, of all the photos of you on the planet Earth, as the big pic on iTunes:

Seriously? Let’s not mention the weird, ghoulish green underlighting. Let’s not mention the context-free blank grey background. Let’s not mention the soulless blank gaze into a middle distance away from the camera. No. On second thoughts, let’s mention it. 

Someone who presumably receives a salary decided that the best possible image to accompany an album titled Current Mood was this picture. Oh dear. Dustin Lynch’s current mood appears to be desperately fed-up. Perhaps this look was the result of being told this would be the photo used on iTunes to sell his album. The blank gaze suggests a young man all out of ideas, battered by forces beyond his control, who just wants it all to go away. 

The title Current Mood clearly references social media, and is designed to appeal to young women who live on  for it. Perhaps young women also like their singers to look like sad sadfaces.

Nah, they don’t. 

Dustin Lynch: a suggestion. Have your people go with the photo at the top of this page. And ditch the synthesizers. Trust The Inky Jukebox on this. 

Dustin Lynch - The Hurricane Cometh

Well hello there

When the video for “Cowboys and Angels” first came on the radio, The Inky Jukebox’s ears pricked up; here was a very nice tune sung well. The general theme was a bit clichéd, but oh well. Then, when the video appeared, The Inky Jukebox sighed: here was just another pretty boy giving it the good old Nashville go. Seemingly too good-looking to be genuine, Dustin Lynch might be the only singer in history actually hampered by handsomeness.

This became apparent when The Inky Jukebox relented and got Lynch’s self-titled debut album — late to the game, as it was released in 2012, but six months later, it still hasn’t left the car, having been on pretty constant rotation ever since. Damn, but it’s a good record.

While “Cowboys and Angels” is clearly a made for radio record, Lynch has been underserved by Broken Bow, who put out the lead track “She Cranks My Tractor” as a follow-up. It’s a raucous double-entendre up-tempo romp, nothing like “Cowboys” but obviously an attempt to showcase another side of this versatile singer-songwriter. Then they went with “Wild In Your Smile,” which is just too retro for today’s charts.

Instead, they should have gone with two other tracks which really stand out. “Hurricane” is an anthem they clearly ignored because it’s another ballad — stupid move. It’s great. It’s even better live, where the band gives it a real long, thundery intro before the hook spills over.

Then they should have released “Last Lap,” a lazy hip-hop number that is so laid-back it grooves in your ears long afterwards. (Listen to album track here.)

The Inky Jukebox is a fan. We’ll even forgive him his cuteness.