Bradley Gaskin’s re-emergence into the indie country music world picks up where the Alabama native left off in the early 2010s. Gaskin signed to a major label at the dawn of the decade and soon enjoyed a minor hit with “Mr. Bartender” – the single made a noticeable dent on Billboard charts and portended a bright future.
Not so fast.
Gaskin’s major label underwent a change in creative direction and the resulting political fallout saw the young singer/songwriter unceremoniously dumped. I understand if the experience left him embittered. He stepped back into hometown life, found work in construction and at a local school, and probably thought that chapter of his life concluded.
Not so fast – again.
It took time, but Gaskin began playing and writing again. He made a fortuitous friendship with a longtime fan which pushed him even further. It’s 2024 now, and Gaskin has fully returned to pursuing a passion that’s bubbled within him since childhood. He’s signed up with a first-rate indie label who intends to push his music to the utmost. His name is out there again, and people are listening.
“Accidentally Drunk” may be a misleading title. I saw the track name before hearing it the first time and assumed Gaskin looked to serve up a raucous honkytonk-tinged number about boozy follies. It isn’t like that at all. Instead, “Accidentally Drunk” is a deeply felt and nearly forlorn ballad about heartache cut from a classic country cloth. It isn’t purist fare. Echoes of retro country instrumentation abound throughout the arrangement, but Gaskin is writing for a modern audience rather than catering to the genre’s faithful.
His voice conjures timeless figures from country music’s past. Gaskin’s singing embodies at least a sliver of heartache derived from Hank Williams Sr. and George Jones, a swell of the same relaxed swagger we hear from Merle Haggard, and the easy yet commanding presence of Johnny Cash. He transmutes those influences through his consciousness and life experience to produce an individual character that lingers in your memory. “Accidentally Drunk” is a prime example of his talents.
Other recent compositions/recordings are worth noting. “30A Blonde” covers familiar ground with a distinctive touch. It illustrates Gaskin’s impressive capacity for creating convincing character portrayals utilizing well-chosen broad strokes. His songwriting instincts for significant detail are as sharp as they come. “Sunset & Wine” is another impressive example of Gaskin’s songwriting today. It pairs clever, yet understated, lyrical turns with a rich yet straightforward arrangement.
“Bumpin’ Buckles” is outstanding. Listeners can anticipate the song will likely acquire a full band arrangement in the future, but it stands on its own as a direct and detail-laden acoustic track. The low-key musical setting focuses our attention on Gaskin’s voice and he meets that challenge. His robust vocals barrel through the lines with brio but never bulldoze any potential emotional impact the song can make. We can call Bradley Gaskin’s return to prominence a comeback, but it isn’t. Rebirth is better. His songwriting is better than ever and you get the feeling he’s scarcely scratched the surface of his skill set.
Mindy McCall
