Assorted cultural crosscurrents blend in the music of Tennessee Backwater, and modern country/Americana/et al is better off because of it. Lifelong relationships peppered with a deep love of music are the fabric binding Tennessee Backwater together, and the band’s new single “In God We Trust” reflects their deep chemistry and expanding reach. Marrying a full-band concept with staunchly traditional instrumentation isn’t always successful; countless cases of such acts failing to achieve any staying power litter music history. However, the cosmopolitan skills and experiences fueling Tennessee Backwater’s art give them a better chance than most of finding posterity’s favor.
The heart of the band centers around Bo and Hunter Elder joined by lifelong friend Blake Daniels. They’ve accumulated like-minded band members along the way to flesh out Tennessee Backwater’s sound and have arrived at an unique unit capable of manifesting a variety of musical identities. The face they choose to don for “In God We Trust” has genuine rock inclinations, but never entirely deserts Tennessee Backwater’s Deep South pedigree. We can hear that rough and tumble soul permeating every second of this single.
“In God We Trust” has no-holds-barred lyrics challenging what America has become, circa 2024, and what Tennessee Backwater continues to hold onto in the face of such changes. They find comfort in the eternal verities, not flavors of the month, and taking such an approach to the songwriting gives “In God We Trust” a meaningful chance at lasting relevance. The best thing for us all would be if, in five years, “In God We Trust” sounds like a dated reminder of less fortunate times. Unfortunately, I expect it will play every bit as timely in ten years, let alone five. Sorry.
I’m not sorry about the rousing musical accompaniment. Tennessee Backwater shows a penchant for amassing its musical firepower in an involving manner. Buckling up for the ride “In God We Trust” provides is never painted by numbers. The individual flash that Daniels, the Elders, and their additional musical cohorts bring to the familiar proves there’s considerable profit in pouring old wine into new bottles.
The presence of dynamics throughout the arrangement echoes its rock influences. It keeps listeners on the proverbial edges of their seats. They do a splendid job syncing up the video’s assorted imagery with the song’s musical trajectory but, moreover, make a wise decision to highlight the band much more than any public figure. This song is very much alive with the world as it is, at this moment, and Tennessee Backwater knows that. Their efforts to tether the video and song to something deeper have a significant impact on the cut’s durability.
It’s sure to rank as one of the band’s most memorable moments. Tennessee Backwater’s “In God We Trust” represents the first moment when Blake Daniels, Bo, and Hunter Elder took their first meaningful step towards possible mainstream success with a song capable of reaching vast portions of the listening public. It won’t be the last time that we hear from them.
Mindy McCall
