Hazel McQuade is an interesting set of contradictions, the rise of his new hit single – It Ain’t Me – the sprinkles on top of the amalgam sundae. The song in a nutshell espouses traditional masculine narratives, such as an appropriate rowdy and inconsequential view on otherwise emotionally and situationally complex issues and agendas. You didn’t sleep in my bed that day, he declares sonically to a theoretical one-night-stand. This is followed up by a tersely worded, somewhat aggressive demand of So don’t hit me up with no DNA. The bluntness of the situation depicted through McQuade’s storytelling abilities adds to the rough, sharp edges that frame an otherwise upbeat, twangy song in the tradition of Southern ballads heard on the antiquated jukebox across the bar. You can practically smell the stink of beer oozing out of the singer’s defined, crooning intonations – the words themselves indicative of entire scenes and sequences calling to mind a long day’s work by the prairie, or VHS copies of Wild at Heart or The Straight Story.
In spite of McQuade’s rougher, less sentimental qualities, there is something almost confessional about his refusal to hide anything qualifying under the TMI banner. It’s that aspect of McQuade’s schtick that really causes things to click in a way that feels fundamentally coherent, keeping the song from ever fully tipping into guilty-pleasure territory or out-and-out offensive qualities. He feels accessible because of this in spite of lyrics such as those aforementioned, never outright hatable as much as something like an old-school, untamed rascal. In an era where offense has become something of a transactional commodity, it’s refreshing to see someone bridge the gap between what worked in more retro circles with lyrical issues relevant to experiences particularly the millennial generation can relate to both within and outside the country music stratosphere.
McQuade clearly loves the forefathers of the sound he carries on in proud, honky tonk tradition, but he has a lot of fun continuing said tradition with a younger man’s stride. The musical composition of the song is completely acoustic, but it feels uncannily fresh and somewhat new despite an overarching familiarity. Perhaps it’s this mixture along with McQuade’s poetic bluntness that really holds the fixtures of the track together, each and every element serving a distinct purpose. No sound on the piece feels like it’s added in excessively, or left to waste.
Fundamentally, It Ain’t Me might not be Country Music Award potential, but it’s a solid step forward in a career that may well reap a few in the years to come. McQuade is fully formed and intriguing because of his said complexities, and doesn’t seem like he’ll disappear anytime soon in the flurry of fresh faces that come and go with each new generation of musical performers. The key will be McQuade continuing to utilize these facets to their fullest potential without the process getting repetitive. If how he’s utilized them on day one is any precedent, he’s likely to stay on track and for us as listeners – that’s a good thing…
Troy Johnston
The music of Hazel McQuade has been heard all over the world in partnership with the radio plugging services offered by Musik and Film Radio Promotions Division. Learn more https://musikandfilm.com