‘Y
At a sold-out show in Glasgow, Oliver Anthony tells the audience, “You may not be familiar with Virginia, but my writing about home is not much different from here.” Last year, the rising country musician, also known as Christopher Lunsford, became one of the few independent artists to top the charts in the US with his song “Rich Men North of Richmond.” The track, which criticizes both the wealthy and those on welfare, has been embraced by Republicans, much to Lunsford’s disappointment. Instead of reflecting Lunsford’s own political beliefs – he claims to be nonpartisan – the song’s reception speaks more to the current desire to project meaning onto popular art and use it as a symbol.
However, it is evident why Lunsford is a perfect starting point. He resides off-grid in Virginia and has limited experience performing live. During a performance, he read a Bible verse from his phone and boldly stated, “all the songs you hear on Spotify were recorded on this.” His music has a raw and powerful quality, enhanced by the addition of a double bass and acoustic guitar to complement the twang of his resonator guitar. Vocally, he is authentic, with his clear tone adding sincerity to emotional tracks like “Cobwebs and Cocaine” and the reluctant drinking song “I’ve Got to Get Sober.”
The reception for the performance is consistently enthusiastic, but the final 30 minutes are intriguing considering Lunsford’s stated distaste for politics. “Doggonnit” lightly criticizes both Republicans and Democrats, but also mentions a strange conspiracy about governments forcing people to eat insects in order to combat climate change. This could be interpreted in different ways, but Lunsford then goes on to criticize any environmentally friendly actions that may harm American workers. Before playing “Rich Men,” he makes a joke about Joe Biden’s preferences for younger individuals. While Lunsford may not want to involve himself in big-P Politics, there is no doubt that these comments are either clear dog whistles or could be used as such by the worst members of society. It’s unfortunate, as he clearly has talent and passion, but things are rarely straightforward in the year 2024.
Source: theguardian.com
