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The most recent LP by Willi Carlisle, Critterland, is an engrossing musical voyage into a world both ours and beyond ours — into Critterland. At once folksy and contemporary, Carlisle traverses a range of subjects, from love to loss, painting vivid and personal pictures with exceptional storytelling.
With the sweet sounds of banjo/harmonica underpinning the cheekily irreverent lyric “I could have been a businessman, but I was too hot headed; plus I never had the money, plus I kinda got arrested,” we are thrust into Critterland.
As the album progresses, Carlisle continues to discuss ironic, deeply human stories. His characters are full of both grit and sorrow — a balance Carlisle strikes beautifully through the brutal honesty of lyrics like “He was dead inside long before he had died // So makin’ the arrangements felt natural, felt nice” and velvety folk soundscapes.
Addictively melodic, each song hits you right in the heart, both crushing it and cradling it. “When the Pills Wear Off” is a particularly tender moment exploring aging and transitions, moving us in a more reflective direction with lullaby-like guitars and strings. Co-written with Billy Keane, the track deftly moves from the violent world of hard drugs to the more somber domains of bedrooms and prescription medicines — all with classic country ease.
Across Critterland, Willi Carlisle skillfully combines the folk of yesterday with the zeal of our contemporary soundscape. The album’s biggest strength is its ability to make difficult topics of discussion into easy listening, providing listeners with a foil to explore their own emotions and experiences.
Willi Carlisle unleashes the best of his artistic abilities on his third full length body of work. Carlisle’s ability to explore complex issues with both depth and musical inventiveness will lodge “Critterland” right in your heart.
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