In the past few years of country music, there haven’t been many great certainties to count on. There were plenty of bad of course. We could count on bro country being a parasite that infects the genre for years to come and is still to this day. We could count on more trend chasing and more outsiders coming into the genre to further muck up the sound of country music. All of these negative things we could count on to bring country down.
It overshadows some of the good things we can count on and one of those things is Richard Lynch, if you’re a classic country fan. I can only say that Richard Lynch has the true consistency in his work that is limited to a mere handful of artists. He is making records that are true to classic Country music.
On “Mending Fences”, Lynch continues to work from multiple angles while also bringing into focus perhaps the greatest of all the skills he’s cultivated over the years: his ability to translate his devotion to craft into richness of expression.
Even though it’s only April, this is definitely the Country album to beat this year. The refined simplicity of Lynch’s writing comes through early on in the recording on “When You Send an Angel a Letter”, a plaintive melody gently exposing his heartfelt words, and the title track, “Mending Fences”, a rumination mellowed by its lilting tune and Lynch’s subtle vocal shadings.
By the time you hit the 4th track, “In Over My Heart”, you realize that here’s a country artist who for over 3 decades has kept it country and plans on keeping it country for the rest of his career. Lynch is a shining example of everything a country music fan should want in their country artists: honesty, respect and quality.
For several years Richard Lynch has been a beacon of light. While some older artists have embarrassingly chased trends and have tried desperately to remain in the mainstream eye, Lynch hasn’t changed his approach at all with his music and continues to do things the way he wants to.
And his way can be heard on standouts like “Daddy’s Words”, “Crazy Man”, the album’s lead single “Cut & Paste”, “Things You Shouldn’t Do” and “Country Music Isn’t Country Anymore”. From the instrumentation to the lyrics to the vocals, these songs are a reminder of why people love Richard Lynch.
“Mending Fences” symbolizes a pillar in country music, one of the few left. It’s one of that represents the foundation and roots of country music. In other words, it’s a reminder of something we can count on. Richard Lynch, as long as he is still making music, will no doubt produce country music that we can all enjoy and respect at the same time.
Regardless of how you feel about this album or whatever grade you assign it, it should bring a smile to your face that Richard Lynch is making fantastic classic country music in 2017.
Richard Lynch is a member of the Independent Country Music Hall of Fame, the founder of the Love Tattoo Foundation for Veterans, and the host of “Traditionally Lynch” on Renegade Radio Nashville. Lynch has appeared on TV and radio stations across the USA and around the world, including RFD TV and WSM Radio Nashville.
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