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Little Big Town have long been compared to Fleetwood Mac, usually due to their lush harmonies and taste for sun-kissed melodic pop. If that analogy holds water -- and it does -- then Pain Killer is Little Big Town's Tusk, the record where the group bends, twists, and reshapes expectations of what the band can do. Coming after the sweet, shiny Tornado, the restless over-saturation in Killer is something of a shock. As pure description, the elements sound strictly mainstream: there are gnarled, distorted guitars, flirtations with electronics, thick walloping rhythms, everything that would seemingly amount to a full-fledged arena-country crossover. Instead of following a predictable pattern, the quartet embarks on a series of detours, seizing each individual track as an opportunity to veer a little further off course. While there's none of the frenzied madness that pulsates underneath Tusk, Little Big Town do slide into a bit of minor-key madness on "Faster Gun" and have to hold their tongue on "Quit Breaking Up with Me"; otherwise they'd spit out profanity. That mischievousness is intertwined with aural adventure on Pain Killer: there's a sense that the group members are goading each other on, daring their bandmates to dabble in a bit of reggae ("Pain Killer"), to add a whistle to a chorus ("Day Drinking"), to write a swaying slow dance about a "Girl Crush," or to turn a bit of back-porch picking into a funky stomp ("Stay All Night"). Even though this record settles into a finale of three successive folk-rock tunes -- all three softly gorgeous -- it's the previous series of left-hand tours that gives Pain Killer its kick: this is the rarest thing in contemporary country, a record with an expansive world-view delivered with a kinetic kick and infallible melodies, a record that gives no indication of where it's going upon first listen but remains compelling upon further spins, after all the dazzle dissipates and Little Big Town's craft shines through.
© Stephen Thomas Erlewine /TiVo
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Jay Joyce, Producer, Mixer, Bells, Engineer, Acoustic Guitar, Electric Guitar, Keyboards, Mandolin, Organ, AssociatedPerformer, StudioPersonnel, Bass (Vocal) - Natalie Hemby, ComposerLyricist - Busbee, ComposerLyricist - Little Big Town, MainArtist - Scott Johnson, Production Coordinator, StudioPersonnel - Richard Dodd, Mastering Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Jedd Hughes, Acoustic Guitar, Electric Guitar, AssociatedPerformer - John Thomasson, AssociatedPerformer, Bass (Vocal) - Jason Hall, Mixer, Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Shane McAnally, ComposerLyricist - Ryan Tyndell, Acoustic Guitar, AssociatedPerformer - Giles Reaves, Drums, Horn, Keyboards, Percussion, Sound Effects, AssociatedPerformer - Johnny Duke, Acoustic Guitar, Electric Guitar, Pedal Steel, AssociatedPerformer - Matthew Wheeler, Asst. Recording Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Seth Rausch, Drums, AssociatedPerformer - Reid Scelza, Asst. Recording Engineer, StudioPersonnel
℗ 2014 Little Big Town LLC
Jay Joyce, Producer, Engineer, Acoustic Guitar, AssociatedPerformer, StudioPersonnel - Jimi Westbrook, ComposerLyricist - Karen Fairchild, ComposerLyricist - Phillip Sweet, ComposerLyricist - Troy Verges, ComposerLyricist - Barry Dean, ComposerLyricist - Little Big Town, MainArtist - Andrew Mendelson, Mastering Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Scott Johnson, Production Coordinator, StudioPersonnel - Jedd Hughes, Electric Guitar, AssociatedPerformer - John Thomasson, AssociatedPerformer, Bass (Vocal) - Jason Hall, Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Giles Reaves, Keyboards, AssociatedPerformer - Johnny Duke, Electric Guitar, AssociatedPerformer - Matthew Wheeler, Asst. Recording Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Seth Rausch, Drums, AssociatedPerformer - Reid Scelza, Asst. Recording Engineer, StudioPersonnel
℗ 2014 Little Big Town, LLC
Liz Rose, ComposerLyricist - Jay Joyce, Producer, Mixer, Bells, Engineer, Acoustic Guitar, Electric Guitar, Keyboards, Mandolin, Organ, AssociatedPerformer, StudioPersonnel, Bass (Vocal) - Karen Fairchild, ComposerLyricist - Hillary Lindsey, ComposerLyricist - Lori McKenna, ComposerLyricist - Kimberly Schlapman, ComposerLyricist - Little Big Town, MainArtist - Scott Johnson, Production Coordinator, StudioPersonnel - Richard Dodd, Mastering Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Jedd Hughes, Acoustic Guitar, Electric Guitar, AssociatedPerformer - John Thomasson, AssociatedPerformer, Bass (Vocal) - Jason Hall, Mixer, Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Ryan Tyndell, Acoustic Guitar, AssociatedPerformer - Giles Reaves, Drums, Horn, Keyboards, Percussion, Sound Effects, AssociatedPerformer - Johnny Duke, Acoustic Guitar, Electric Guitar, Pedal Steel, AssociatedPerformer - Matthew Wheeler, Asst. Recording Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Seth Rausch, Drums, AssociatedPerformer - Reid Scelza, Asst. Recording Engineer, StudioPersonnel
℗ 2014 Little Big Town LLC
Jay Joyce, Producer, Mixer, Bells, Engineer, Acoustic Guitar, Electric Guitar, Keyboards, Mandolin, Organ, AssociatedPerformer, StudioPersonnel, Bass (Vocal) - Jimi Westbrook, ComposerLyricist - Karen Fairchild, ComposerLyricist - Hillary Lindsey, ComposerLyricist - Blair Daly, ComposerLyricist - Little Big Town, MainArtist - Scott Johnson, Production Coordinator, StudioPersonnel - Richard Dodd, Mastering Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Jedd Hughes, Acoustic Guitar, Electric Guitar, AssociatedPerformer - John Thomasson, AssociatedPerformer, Bass (Vocal) - Jason Hall, Mixer, Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Ryan Tyndell, Acoustic Guitar, AssociatedPerformer - Giles Reaves, Drums, Horn, Keyboards, Percussion, Sound Effects, AssociatedPerformer - Johnny Duke, Acoustic Guitar, Electric Guitar, Pedal Steel, AssociatedPerformer - Matthew Wheeler, Asst. Recording Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Seth Rausch, Drums, AssociatedPerformer - Reid Scelza, Asst. Recording Engineer, StudioPersonnel
℗ 2014 Little Big Town LLC
Liz Rose, ComposerLyricist - Jay Joyce, Producer, Mixer, Bells, Engineer, Acoustic Guitar, Electric Guitar, Keyboards, Mandolin, Organ, AssociatedPerformer, StudioPersonnel, Bass (Vocal) - Hillary Lindsey, ComposerLyricist - Lori McKenna, ComposerLyricist - Little Big Town, MainArtist - Scott Johnson, Production Coordinator, StudioPersonnel - Richard Dodd, Mastering Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Jedd Hughes, Acoustic Guitar, Electric Guitar, AssociatedPerformer - John Thomasson, AssociatedPerformer, Bass (Vocal) - Jason Hall, Mixer, Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Ryan Tyndell, Acoustic Guitar, AssociatedPerformer - Giles Reaves, Drums, Horn, Keyboards, Percussion, Sound Effects, AssociatedPerformer - Johnny Duke, Acoustic Guitar, Electric Guitar, Pedal Steel, AssociatedPerformer - Matthew Wheeler, Asst. Recording Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Seth Rausch, Drums, AssociatedPerformer - Reid Scelza, Asst. Recording Engineer, StudioPersonnel
℗ 2014 Little Big Town LLC
Jay Joyce, Producer, Mixer, Bells, Engineer, Acoustic Guitar, Electric Guitar, Keyboards, Mandolin, Organ, AssociatedPerformer, StudioPersonnel, Bass (Vocal) - Jimi Westbrook, ComposerLyricist - Phillip Sweet, ComposerLyricist - Jeremy Spillman, ComposerLyricist - Little Big Town, MainArtist - Scott Johnson, Production Coordinator, StudioPersonnel - Richard Dodd, Mastering Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Jedd Hughes, Acoustic Guitar, Electric Guitar, AssociatedPerformer - John Thomasson, AssociatedPerformer, Bass (Vocal) - Jason Hall, Mixer, Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Ryan Tyndell, Acoustic Guitar, AssociatedPerformer, ComposerLyricist - Giles Reaves, Drums, Horn, Keyboards, Percussion, Sound Effects, AssociatedPerformer - Johnny Duke, Acoustic Guitar, Electric Guitar, Pedal Steel, AssociatedPerformer - Matthew Wheeler, Asst. Recording Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Seth Rausch, Drums, AssociatedPerformer - Reid Scelza, Asst. Recording Engineer, StudioPersonnel
℗ 2014 Little Big Town LLC
Jay Joyce, Producer, Mixer, Bells, Engineer, Acoustic Guitar, Electric Guitar, Keyboards, Mandolin, Organ, AssociatedPerformer, StudioPersonnel, ComposerLyricist, Bass (Vocal) - Natalie Hemby, ComposerLyricist - Jeremy Spillman, ComposerLyricist - Little Big Town, MainArtist - Scott Johnson, Production Coordinator, StudioPersonnel - Richard Dodd, Mastering Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Jedd Hughes, Acoustic Guitar, Electric Guitar, AssociatedPerformer - John Thomasson, AssociatedPerformer, Bass (Vocal) - Jason Hall, Mixer, Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Ryan Tyndell, Acoustic Guitar, AssociatedPerformer - Giles Reaves, Drums, Horn, Keyboards, Percussion, Sound Effects, AssociatedPerformer - Johnny Duke, Acoustic Guitar, Electric Guitar, Pedal Steel, AssociatedPerformer - Matthew Wheeler, Asst. Recording Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Seth Rausch, Drums, AssociatedPerformer - Reid Scelza, Asst. Recording Engineer, StudioPersonnel
℗ 2014 Little Big Town LLC
Jay Joyce, Producer, Mixer, Bells, Engineer, Acoustic Guitar, Electric Guitar, Keyboards, Mandolin, Organ, AssociatedPerformer, StudioPersonnel, Bass (Vocal) - Jimi Westbrook, ComposerLyricist - Phillip Sweet, ComposerLyricist - Little Big Town, MainArtist - Scott Johnson, Production Coordinator, StudioPersonnel - Richard Dodd, Mastering Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Jedd Hughes, Acoustic Guitar, Electric Guitar, AssociatedPerformer - John Thomasson, AssociatedPerformer, Bass (Vocal) - Jason Hall, Mixer, Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Ryan Tyndell, Acoustic Guitar, AssociatedPerformer - Brent Cobb, ComposerLyricist - Giles Reaves, Drums, Horn, Keyboards, Percussion, Sound Effects, AssociatedPerformer - Jason Saenz, ComposerLyricist - Johnny Duke, Acoustic Guitar, Electric Guitar, Pedal Steel, AssociatedPerformer - Matthew Wheeler, Asst. Recording Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Seth Rausch, Drums, AssociatedPerformer - Reid Scelza, Asst. Recording Engineer, StudioPersonnel
℗ 2014 Little Big Town LLC
Liz Rose, ComposerLyricist - Jay Joyce, Producer, Mixer, Bells, Engineer, Acoustic Guitar, Electric Guitar, Keyboards, Mandolin, Organ, AssociatedPerformer, StudioPersonnel, Bass (Vocal) - Hillary Lindsey, ComposerLyricist - Lori McKenna, ComposerLyricist - Little Big Town, MainArtist - Scott Johnson, Production Coordinator, StudioPersonnel - Richard Dodd, Mastering Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Jedd Hughes, Acoustic Guitar, Electric Guitar, AssociatedPerformer - John Thomasson, AssociatedPerformer, Bass (Vocal) - Jason Hall, Mixer, Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Ryan Tyndell, Acoustic Guitar, AssociatedPerformer - Giles Reaves, Drums, Horn, Keyboards, Percussion, Sound Effects, AssociatedPerformer - Johnny Duke, Acoustic Guitar, Electric Guitar, Pedal Steel, AssociatedPerformer - Matthew Wheeler, Asst. Recording Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Seth Rausch, Drums, AssociatedPerformer - Reid Scelza, Asst. Recording Engineer, StudioPersonnel
℗ 2014 Little Big Town LLC
Jay Joyce, Producer, Mixer, Bells, Engineer, Acoustic Guitar, Electric Guitar, Keyboards, Mandolin, Organ, AssociatedPerformer, StudioPersonnel, Bass (Vocal) - Jimi Westbrook, ComposerLyricist - Karen Fairchild, ComposerLyricist - Phillip Sweet, ComposerLyricist - Jeremy Spillman, ComposerLyricist - Kimberly Schlapman, ComposerLyricist - Little Big Town, MainArtist - Scott Johnson, Production Coordinator, StudioPersonnel - Richard Dodd, Mastering Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Jedd Hughes, Acoustic Guitar, Electric Guitar, AssociatedPerformer - John Thomasson, AssociatedPerformer, Bass (Vocal) - Jason Hall, Mixer, Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Ryan Tyndell, Acoustic Guitar, AssociatedPerformer, ComposerLyricist - Giles Reaves, Drums, Horn, Keyboards, Percussion, Sound Effects, AssociatedPerformer - Johnny Duke, Acoustic Guitar, Electric Guitar, Pedal Steel, AssociatedPerformer - Matthew Wheeler, Asst. Recording Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Seth Rausch, Drums, AssociatedPerformer - Reid Scelza, Asst. Recording Engineer, StudioPersonnel
℗ 2014 Little Big Town LLC
Jay Joyce, Producer, Mixer, Bells, Engineer, Acoustic Guitar, Electric Guitar, Keyboards, Mandolin, Organ, AssociatedPerformer, StudioPersonnel, Bass (Vocal) - Natalie Hemby, ComposerLyricist - Ross Copperman, ComposerLyricist - Little Big Town, MainArtist - Scott Johnson, Production Coordinator, StudioPersonnel - Richard Dodd, Mastering Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Jedd Hughes, Acoustic Guitar, Electric Guitar, AssociatedPerformer - John Thomasson, AssociatedPerformer, Bass (Vocal) - Jason Hall, Mixer, Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Shane McAnally, ComposerLyricist - Ryan Tyndell, Acoustic Guitar, AssociatedPerformer - Giles Reaves, Drums, Horn, Keyboards, Percussion, Sound Effects, AssociatedPerformer - Johnny Duke, Acoustic Guitar, Electric Guitar, Pedal Steel, AssociatedPerformer - Matthew Wheeler, Asst. Recording Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Seth Rausch, Drums, AssociatedPerformer - Reid Scelza, Asst. Recording Engineer, StudioPersonnel
℗ 2014 Little Big Town LLC
Jay Joyce, Producer, Mixer, Bells, Engineer, Acoustic Guitar, Electric Guitar, Keyboards, Mandolin, Organ, AssociatedPerformer, StudioPersonnel, ComposerLyricist, Bass (Vocal) - Jimi Westbrook, ComposerLyricist - Karen Fairchild, ComposerLyricist - Phillip Sweet, ComposerLyricist - Natalie Hemby, ComposerLyricist - Jeremy Spillman, ComposerLyricist - Kimberly Schlapman, ComposerLyricist - Little Big Town, MainArtist - Scott Johnson, Production Coordinator, StudioPersonnel - Richard Dodd, Mastering Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Jedd Hughes, Acoustic Guitar, Electric Guitar, AssociatedPerformer - John Thomasson, AssociatedPerformer, Bass (Vocal) - Jason Hall, Mixer, Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Ryan Tyndell, Acoustic Guitar, AssociatedPerformer - Giles Reaves, Drums, Horn, Keyboards, Percussion, Sound Effects, AssociatedPerformer - Johnny Duke, Acoustic Guitar, Electric Guitar, Pedal Steel, AssociatedPerformer - Matthew Wheeler, Asst. Recording Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Seth Rausch, Drums, AssociatedPerformer - Reid Scelza, Asst. Recording Engineer, StudioPersonnel
℗ 2014 Little Big Town LLC
Jay Joyce, Producer, Mixer, Bells, Engineer, Acoustic Guitar, Electric Guitar, Keyboards, Mandolin, Organ, AssociatedPerformer, StudioPersonnel, ComposerLyricist, Bass (Vocal) - Kimberly Schlapman, ComposerLyricist - Little Big Town, MainArtist - Scott Johnson, Production Coordinator, StudioPersonnel - Richard Dodd, Mastering Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Jedd Hughes, Acoustic Guitar, Electric Guitar, AssociatedPerformer, ComposerLyricist - John Thomasson, AssociatedPerformer, Bass (Vocal) - Jason Hall, Mixer, Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Ryan Tyndell, Acoustic Guitar, AssociatedPerformer - Giles Reaves, Drums, Horn, Keyboards, Percussion, Sound Effects, AssociatedPerformer - Johnny Duke, Acoustic Guitar, Electric Guitar, Pedal Steel, AssociatedPerformer - Matthew Wheeler, Asst. Recording Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Karen Renee Fairchild, ComposerLyricist - Seth Rausch, Drums, AssociatedPerformer - Reid Scelza, Asst. Recording Engineer, StudioPersonnel
℗ 2014 Little Big Town LLC
Album review
Little Big Town have long been compared to Fleetwood Mac, usually due to their lush harmonies and taste for sun-kissed melodic pop. If that analogy holds water -- and it does -- then Pain Killer is Little Big Town's Tusk, the record where the group bends, twists, and reshapes expectations of what the band can do. Coming after the sweet, shiny Tornado, the restless over-saturation in Killer is something of a shock. As pure description, the elements sound strictly mainstream: there are gnarled, distorted guitars, flirtations with electronics, thick walloping rhythms, everything that would seemingly amount to a full-fledged arena-country crossover. Instead of following a predictable pattern, the quartet embarks on a series of detours, seizing each individual track as an opportunity to veer a little further off course. While there's none of the frenzied madness that pulsates underneath Tusk, Little Big Town do slide into a bit of minor-key madness on "Faster Gun" and have to hold their tongue on "Quit Breaking Up with Me"; otherwise they'd spit out profanity. That mischievousness is intertwined with aural adventure on Pain Killer: there's a sense that the group members are goading each other on, daring their bandmates to dabble in a bit of reggae ("Pain Killer"), to add a whistle to a chorus ("Day Drinking"), to write a swaying slow dance about a "Girl Crush," or to turn a bit of back-porch picking into a funky stomp ("Stay All Night"). Even though this record settles into a finale of three successive folk-rock tunes -- all three softly gorgeous -- it's the previous series of left-hand tours that gives Pain Killer its kick: this is the rarest thing in contemporary country, a record with an expansive world-view delivered with a kinetic kick and infallible melodies, a record that gives no indication of where it's going upon first listen but remains compelling upon further spins, after all the dazzle dissipates and Little Big Town's craft shines through.
© Stephen Thomas Erlewine /TiVo
About the album
- 1 disc(s) - 13 track(s)
- Total length: 00:46:24
- Main artists: Little Big Town
- Composer: Various Composers
- Label: Capitol Records Nashville
- Genre: Country
© 2014 Little Big Town LLC ℗ 2014 Little Big Town LLC
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