Country music is as celebrated by those who can’t get enough of its easygoing beats as it is, most often, geared towards one specific audience in particular, but in singer/songwriter Jeremy Parsons’ new single “Tickin’,” we find someone with a diverse enough palate to win over country, rock and even alternative music fans alike without having to cheapen his aesthetical integrity. Parsons comes into his latest release with a melodic drawl that is certain to spellbind anyone within earshot, and against the backdrop of a minimalist grind, he hammers out what could be the most provocative hook of the autumn thus far.
The muted melodic parts here command a lot of our attention, but their relationship with the percussion is probably the most evocative component on the instrumental front here. Through the several minutes that the song lasts, they duel for our hearts, firing off one sensational pulse after another until they’re almost overpowering Parsons’ singing. The mix keeps everything crisp, clean, and nonintrusive, and makes it easy for us to discern where one element in the melody starts and another ends, but even if it weren’t afforded such an urbane production quality, I don’t doubt that the harmonies here would be just as enticing.
There’s an urgency to the rhythm of the drums, as well as the bassline, but nothing in this track feels rushed or thrown together. You don’t have to be an expert in pop recording to appreciate the amount of time and labored effort that most likely went into making every intricate detail of the sonic landscape here as intriguing as it is, but for those who take music a bit more seriously than most (myself included), “Tickin’” is a lot loftier an offering than your average alt-country release is.
Though it’s produced like an industrial rock song from the late ‘90s to a certain extent, Jeremy Parsons’ new release doesn’t feel like a direct play for the praise of FM radio disc jockeys, or even music journalists like myself for that matter. I get the impression that Parsons has a personal connection with these lyrics and the emotionality that their musical foundation inspires whenever I listen to it; there’s simply too much passion, and frankly, too much relentless moxie present in “Tickin’,” for me to think anything different. He’s got an investment in his material that goes beyond the desire for monetary gains; through his music, he shares with us a piece of himself in the most intimate of ways that an artist can, and free of the worries that come with advancing bold themes in a relatively familiar setting.
He’s got some room for growth and maturity in future compositions, but with that said, Jeremy Parsons’ “Tickin’” is a must-listen for alternative country buffs who are hungry for some fresh blood in this transitional period for the genre. He’s got an unapologetically rebellious approach to this piece, and taking into consideration that this isn’t his first single, there’s no debating that he’s got quite a future ahead of him. Parsons is a whole lot of country and a little bit of edgy rock n’ roll, but it should be known that he is one hundred percent what the Nashville scene needs right now.
Rachel Townsend