Let me get this out of the way first: Seether is not a good band.
Yeah, I know. Shocking. I’ve always found that Shaun Morgan was a bit of a drama queen, and I think that his sitting in the spotlight has made him look like a schmuck more than an alternative rock star. I first encountered this band through that collaboration with Amy Lee from Evanescence, and since then, Seether has been a generally underwhelming act. There have been a few solid hits early in their career, but they’ve mostly been hits due to a stagnant post-grunge scene, surrounded by Nickelback lovers instead of rock aficionados.
“Country Song” is another boring single from a band that hasn’t made any kind of progression since it was called Saron Gas. Aside from having a really dumb name, “Country Song” is about as typical and cookie-cutter as modern rock has become. The acoustic guitar in the background during the opening is an interesting touch (desperately trying to add some justification to the song name), but once the chorus comes in, it’s practically a waste with Shaun Morgan grunting like a farm animal. The guitar line is heavy and it is a pretty big punch to the gut. Still, the lyrics are weak, derivative, and trite, calling on angst-filled trivialities. Not the angst that made grunge great, but that hollow, peer pressure angst. Seether isn’t cool. It just wants to be cool.
“Country Song” has already become a massive hit for the band, and I know that people are going to love it, but encouraging this kind of boring, pseudo-aggression isn’t going to help the modern music world. For every creative up-and-coming band that emerges, another Seether song comes out, and another million concert goers love it.
Save your ears the trouble and don’t listen to this one. Sorry, Shaun. Maybe next year?
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