What Makes Life in Big Orange Guitar by Brickwall Jackson

Brickwall Jackson is a five-man Americana band hailing from Richmond, Virginia. Johnny Hudack, Rod Hicks, Andy Melchert, Sam Nixon, and Buster Bohannon combine their musical talents to create a sound that captures the raw sound of the Americana genre. Their newest album “Big Orange Guitar,” in a word, playful, as their rambunctious sound runs wild in this album.

The guitars and vocals are distinct and groovy as they follow an infectious rhythm from song to song. Their lively songs belie their lyrics which are simply written, in a way that makes them easily understood and heartwarming. “Big Orange Guitar” is like listening to your best friends recounting all their fantastic stories and hard-won lessons about life.

In a hilarious and witty fashion, the namesake song, “Big Orange Guitar” is what kicks off this record. In a classic boot-stomping rhythm, “Big Orange Guitar” is a confident power anthem.

The singer challenges someone to “Try to walk a mile in my boots if you think you can,” and repeatedly says “I don’t know who the hell you think you are.” The country rock guitar and rapid-fire drums make the song infectious, compelling listeners to get up and dance away their frustrations.

One hit on the album is the bluesy “Porch Swings.” A sweet song about spending time with friends and loved ones because life is short, it is one of the first life-lessons the band imparts. Unafraid to express their love, in the chorus thesingers says, “Well come on over cause I miss your smile / We can set for a spell we can talk for awhile / Cause time won’twait and we don’t have that long.” The rhythms are plucky and more acoustic than other songs on the album, as the blues influence shines in this song. “Porch Swings” pulls at the heartstrings because love between friends is less often expressed in song and Brickwall Jackson shows some appreciation for all the friends that make this short life worth living.

Another memorable song is that upbeat but emotional “Son of Many Fathers.” “Son of Many Fathers” is a boisterous joyful sound with clear country roots. This song is a shout-out of appreciation for all the people, all the fathers, that influenced the singer’s life ad turned them into somebody; turned them into a man. Instead of melancholy reminiscence this song is the pure celebration of life and the people met along the way:“Man I wish he could see me now / I’d love to shake his hand / They say that it takes many years / to really grow a man / I been here a lifetime and I’m not / sure where I stand.”

Closing out the album and appropriately named, the last song is “May You Remain.” The last song to tie off this album’s high-spirited ministrations on life and lessons learned, “May You Remain,” is a beautiful blend of Americana ballad andcountry rock. It begins slowly and then builds and builds until the song’s climax. The song ends with a stellar two minutes of instrumentals, that showcase the best of Brickwall Jackson’s talents. This choice to end the song with no lyrics is alsoquite smart as it gives the lyrics space to just be and adds a sense of finality to the record. The lyrics of this song are especially poignant as they urge someone to remain as they are, with all of their scars, but also hopefully caring with them the best parts of themselves and their loved ones: “May you remain the way that you were meant to be / May you contain only the better parts of me / May God preserve your soul so all the world can see.”

Brickwall Jackson delivers an incredible album that truly captures the soul of the Americana genre. They explore all aspects of life from the moments when you need to stand up for yourself to where all you want tosee is a friendly smile. They capture all of this in lovely, loud, and lively songs. This album is anthem for life and for the people that make it all worth it.

By Annamaria Lund