Veteran musician/singer/actor Rick Springfield is back with a new record, The Snake King,” and it is about a million miles away from the 80’s pop hits he’s primarily known for. There’s no “Jessie’s Girl” here. What we get instead from “The Snake King” is a portrait of a conflicted, yet contemplative artist who is wrestling personal demons to the ground and generally just trying to make sense of it all. One might say Springfield’s “muse” is aging like fine wine, but this record has more of a moonshine sting to it.
“Land Of The Blind” kicks the record off with a melodic slide guitar line that is reminiscent of George Harrison, but Springfield’s vocals and lyrics immediately take center stage, and his biting, satirical prose remains the focal point throughout. The rest of the record has an overall bluesy vibe, but with enough interesting and unexpected chord changes and such a rich sonic palette that it avoids ever sounding cliche or formulaic. Songs like “The Devil That You Know” and “Judas Tree” have a bit of swing to them. Songs like “God Don’t Care,” “The Voodoo House” and the title track offer more of a old school blues vibe, but with just enough nuance to make them sound fresh. Where Springfield shines brightest though is on standout tracks like “Little Demon” and “Orpheus In The Underworld.” “Little Demon” starts with an acoustic feel that eventually leads to one of the more rocking moments of the record, before completely shifting tempo and gears in the second half of the song. “Orpheus In The Underworld” is just sheer lyrical genius. I have to admit, I really had no idea Springfield was capable of this kind of lyrical depth. It’s pretty clever and frequently humorous stuff. Springfield even gets unfriended by Jesus on Facebook in the song “Jesus Was An Atheist”.
Somewhere along the way the “music intelligentsia” decided rock music was primarily a young man’s pursuit, but Springfield proves that a lifetime of personal experience and endured hardships generally make for richer art. So leave whatever preconceptions about Springfield you may hold at the door and give “The Snake King” and honest listen, because this could be the surprise record of the year.
