Roger D’Arcy tells stories in his songs. This, of course, is expected of Country music. It is the one fundamental attribute that describes it and for which it is readily recognized. From Kenny Rogers, Don Williams and everyone else through whom audiences of the time and thereafter have got their introduction to the genre—and those who had shaped the trajectory of Country Music through the passage of time—storytelling has been integral to their lyrical delivery. In "Footprints in Wet Cement", Roger D’Arcy has curated an offering of musical experiences for the listener, and discussing it is the essence of this review.
The first track comes, 'Quiet Man', off lyrically introspective. Very much melancholic. With spatial instrumental accompaniment and traditional instrumental dynamics to go along. One would guess that Roger is audibly establishing that he is not a revolutionary: an assurance that he is retaining within this musical offering an originality that hasn’t been bargained off in an era of globalization and the reconfiguration of boundaries. This promise of traditional authenticity is retained in the next song, Fortune; the enrichment with harmonica makes it most remarkable. Unlike the melancholic Quiet Man, it is lyrically expressive. Philosophical, even.
“Seems we must get lost before we work out who we are …”
This era has borne witness to globalization in the course of which musical tastes have evolved, and the mainstream has found itself becoming outliers. Country Music which used to be very much mainstream has gained lesser global attention beyond pockets of places where they still hold sway. Audiences have shrunk and the genre has not been completely insulated from the natural order of evolution. One major instance worthy of mention is the arrival to the scene of Afro Country. It is a little noticeable change to the genre, not insignificant, but not yet riding the waves on the scale that defines mainstream music. Even in Footprints in Wet Cements, one is bound to sense influences of the evolutions shaping Country Music.
The instrumental dynamics picks off differently in 'Life Boat'. It is a song that can be considered a lyrical play on contradictions. Roger steps into his definitive element: lyricism. I will wipe away the tears for you but I am the one who cries. It is ambiently romantic, the one song with a rich chorus that is very much remarkable. My life boat has been sunk
I tried to save some souls but too many got in...
'Follow Me' comes off something entirely experimental. A song most befitting for the soundtrack of a Western or historical movie. The storytelling is compelling. And the instrumental drives the mood, prepares and sets it for something enriching. The chorus is memorable. Bloodline and Second Wind are a fall back into melancholia; romantic and instrumentally sparse.
As previously mentioned, the course of evolution—sped up by globalization—has touched every facet of the human experience, including musical expression. Country Music has experienced its share of evolution, much of which can be said to be borne of the natural need to respond to the shifts in forms, boundaries and behavioural patterns. There are listeners who, today, can swear to recognizing hints of Blues or RnB in contemporary Country Music.
There have been subtle additions to tempo, musical assortment and every other bit of fine-tuning that bears testament to the strength of volition, ingenuity and artistry. It can be argued to be as much a good thing as a bad one: it all depends on what spot on the spectrum of ‘liberal versus conservative’ that the one is approaching the argument from. Music is life, after all, and life is in a constant state of flow. Hence, music and its genres tend to adapt to both the internal and external elements in accordance to the demands and impression they create on it.
