John Mellencamp- Orpheus Descending
Label: Republic
Producer: John Mellencamp
The rootsy, expansive, and prolific latter day catalog of rock legend John Mellencamp expands once again with the release of Orpheus Descending, his twenty-fifth album and prompt follow-up to last year’s Strictly A One-Eyed Jack. As is the case with any Mellencamp release of the past decade and a half, Descending finds the icon continuing to reside comfortably in the realm of plainspoken folk and stripped-back roots rock. It remains a perfect sonic trapping for his latter day voice, a ragged rasp spewing with endearing yet pointed curmudgeony that shows increasing wear and signs of borrowed time with each passing year. Beautifully supplementing the overall color of the record is the return of violinist Lisa Germano, whose luminous playing was a highlight of Lonesome Jubilee-era tracks like “Cherry Bomb”. Much like Carlene Carter’s participation did so on 2017’s Sad Clowns & Hillbillies, Germano’s presence proves to be a perfect foil and compliment to the singer’s ashy voice. And it’s clear that Mellencamp intends to use this voice and its brutally honest and imperfect nature to the fullest as long as he’s able. This record clearly and immediately stands out as one of his most forwardly political and socially conscious. On the stinging rock-gospel hybrid of lead single, “Hey God”, he opens the record with the haunting lyric: “Weapons and guns, are they really my rights? Laws written a long time ago, no one could imagine the sight of so many dead on the floor.” While this will likely serve as off-putting to any conservatives that may surprisingly remain followers of Mellencamp’s legacy era, this kind of social battle cry should come as no surprise to anyone. Dating back to his commercial heyday, the rocker has always subscribed to the humanistic undertones of both Heartland Rock and traditional folk. As the album progresses, he tackles everything from homelessness (“The Eyes of Portland”) and American greed and suicide (“The So-Called Free”), to the political and religious conflicts that have left our country brutally divided (“The Kindness of Lovers”). In the latter, the singer has a conversation with Jesus about the state of the world: “Putting one man’s opinion against another man’s is just a joke/And look at the mess you have all made around here/Someday I’m afraid you’ll give up hope.” But as the record progresses, Orpheus elegantly reveals itself as far more diverse than these tracks may initially suggest. Through moments like the spry “One More Trick”, the relaxed “Lightning and Luck” and particularly the soul-stirring “Understated Reverance”, it’s as much a meditation on aging and mortality, as it is the concerning social events that worry a man like Mellencamp late in his life. Even if he closes the project on a slightly less hopeful note with “Backbone”, the light that shines through in the middle of the record serves as a reminder that there is still plenty to cherish in this world, even amidst the darkness. It’s this beautiful dichotomy that truly makes Orpheus Descending both a much needed confrontation of our problems, as well an important reminder of what we’re fighting for in the first place.
Track Listing:
- “Hey God” (John Mellencamp)
- “The Eyes of Portland” (Mellencamp)
- “The So-Called Free” (Mellencamp)
- “The Kindness of Lovers” (Mellencamp)
- “Amen” (Mellencamp)
- “Orpheus Descending” (Mellencamp)
- “Understated Reverence” (Mellencamp)
- “One More Trick” (Mellencamp)
- “Lightning and Luck” (Mellencamp)
- “Perfect World” (Bruce Springsteen)
- “Backbone” (Mellencamp)
The 706 
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