THOSE POOR BASTARDS: Back To The Primitive

Release year: 2024
Label: Tribulation Recording Company

As I stated in my review of US gothic country act Those Poor Bastard’s previous album God Awful (here), it’s been a while since the group have released anyting worthwhile. The same’s been true for the project’s main man Lonesome Wyatt’s solo endeavours – with the previous album Longing For Oblivion being a very welcome exception (see here). It was actually good album.

So I must admit that it wasn’t exactly with enthusiasm that I placed my order for Those Poor Bastards’ newest album Back To The Primitive. It was more some kind of slightly dejected sense of duty; not so much to the artist, but more to my record collection and the nigh on complete Those Poor Bastards/Lonesome Wyatt collection I have. What are the odds that the lackluster streak would be broken two times in a row?

I don’t know the odds, but I can tell you the actuality: it wasn’t broken twice. If Longing For Oblivion was, for a change, a great album, Back To The Primitive isn’t. Above all, it’s trite and trivial. There’s nothing here to be called bad as such. Nor is there anything to be called good. In fact, there’s nothing to be called much of anything on here. It’s in from one ear, out from the other, and no memory imprints left.

Essentially, Those Poor Bastards remain as they’ve been on the last few albums: miserable gothic country that’s predominantly but not exclusively acoustic. Sometimes they pick things up to a huffed rockin’ pace, sometimes they add a bit of electric guitar or violin, but for the most time the duo of Lonesome Wyatt and The Minister keep things rather predictable.

And Lonesome Wyatt’s vocals still sound good. There are nice bits and pieces here and there. There’s still nothing wrong with the style. It’s just that it’s all been seen and heard dozens of times before, in better incarnations, on previous albums. At this stage, Those Poor Bastards have become a one trick pony, and that one trick is wearing thin.

So, the bottom line is simple: this is another Those Poor Bastards album for people who want more Those Poor Bastards albums in their collection. It doesn’t incorporate significant new elements or reinvent the old sound; it doesn’t contain any songs that are memorable; essentially, there’s no reason to listen to this album when there are better albums of pretty much the same in the band’s back catalogue.

So, one more nail to the coffin. That really is all there is to be said about this album.

Visit Those Poor Bastards on their official website, Bandcamp or Facebook