Album Spotlight: Tyler Farr, ‘Suffer in Peace’
Tyler Farr is as at his best when his heart is broken. Four songs on Suffer in Peace cover heartbreak like Ken Burns covers baseball. "A Guy Walks Into a Bar" is just an appetizer for the type of sorrow found on the singer's second studio album.
The title track and "Withdrawals" are two other standout tracks. “You always used to get me high / Now all I do is crash and fall,” Farr cries out on "Withdrawals," a sure single. This is the song that's going to get him noticed as a premier vocalist in country music. The classically trained singer shows off a high end most fans aren't aware of.
Later, "I Don't Even Want This Beer" wallows around in despair and depression. Farr's highs aren't as convincing by comparison. "Criminal" is a well-written love song that doesn't stand up until repeated listens. "Better in Boots" and "Poor Boy" are more playful, necessary respites from what would otherwise be an emotionally exhausting album.
Two country anthems bookend Suffer in Peace. "C.O.U.N.T.R.Y" is a hard rocker set to a pace that's not attempted again. “We love our guns our God our Jesus, Pledge allegiance too / We bleed John Deere green, red white and blue / Screw politically correct, we gonna let it fly / Out in the C.O.U.N.T.R.Y.," Farr sings.
"Why We Live Here" pays tribute to the military, but in a way that's more subtle than many similar songs. Farr walks down country Main St. with these two songs, but there are plenty on the album that steer toward the edges.
Key Tracks: "C.O.U.N.T.R.Y," "Withdrawals," "Suffer in Peace"
Damn Good Singers: Farr says he's drawn to people that are strong vocalists. "A lot of the guys that I’m friends with, like my circle of buddies in the music industry, most of them are really good singers, and I think that’s why we’re friends, is because we have mutual respect for each other.”
Did You Know?: The song "Withdrawals" was inspired by Florida Georgia Line and the AwolNation song "Sail." The FGL guys heard Farr's cover and told him he should cut a song that started as high as the rock song.
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