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(More customer reviews)Prime Cuts: Today, When You Give Yourself Away, We Fly By Night
When Allan sings, "I'm not an easy man to understand," he's telling the truth. Allan is a curly character: beneath his aloof Californian surfer veneer is a vulnerable heart that pulsates with sensitivity. And just like all his albums, Allan vacillates between these two character traits throughout these songs here again. On some of the tracks he puts his foot to the pedal rocking like these is no tomorrow. Yet, on the quieter moments he casts aside his machismo for some heart -to-heart confabulations. Such an approach has continued to garner respect from Allan's male fans while adding much to flourish the romantic fantasies of his female aficionados. As with his other records, Mark Wright is again at the knobs and he's to be thanked for such a quality record without an ounce of filler at all. As far as the backings are concerned, this is your typical contemporary country record--slick and polished augmented by some occasional fiddling and steel guitar riffs.
Allan seems to be at his best when he delves into his soul-searching moment. Lead single "Today" sits comfortably with Gary-Allan's classics such as "Watching Airplanes" and "Tough Little Boys." Performed with shovels of emotions, Allan sings of a man not giving up on his girl until the day of her wedding. Except that she's marrying another man. Prepare a box of Kleenex when Allan sings: "Today is the happiest day of her life/I should be happy for her/So tell me, why are these tears in my eyes?" Though nothing quite comes close to this Titanic of a ballad, "When You Give Yourself Away" comes close. Few men are willing to admit the vulnerability of committing to a relationship, Allan tells it in such a moving way without sounding whimsical. A soothing Keith Urban-like ballad with deft shades of 60s pop, "We Fly By Night" is a homily about not allowing the busy activities of life to rob the joys of our relationships. "She Gets Me," harkens back to country music way back in the 90s, where sensitive love ballads over a gorgeous melodies abound.
Allan does let his swaggering side emerge with the album's title cut "Get Off on the Pain." It's a forgettable busy barnburner with screeching guitars turned up to the max. Thank God producer Mark Wright had the sense to turn down the mix on the bluesy "I Think I've Had Enough" - a coming-of-age confession of a man seeing the futility of a rambling lifestyle. Allan is one who doesn't just sing about songs plastered with rosy glee, "Kiss Me When I'm Down" is a realistic portrayal of a dysfunctional relationship. A mid-tempo narrative "Kiss Me When I'm Down" that tells of the protagonist's obsession with his girl that he's even willing to be abused by her in order to keep her. It's a realistic slice of life that makes the song so intriguing.
As it's the current trend now with most country records, it's often tail end with an inspirational tune. At times such songs can be pretty obligatory but not with Allan. The opening line of "No Regrets" is arresting enough for mandatory listening: "Scarecrows and devils are the only things out this late." "No Regrets" is tell-it-all confession of a life well-spent despite its detours that is so perfect for Allan's rugged delivery. In short,"Get Off on the Pain" scores again with spades of heart tugging moments, honest confessions, and some rowdy party kickers too.
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Allan has recently finished recording his new album GET OFF ON THE PAIN with long-time producer Mark Wright. The first single, "Today," is currently climbing the charts and is spinning on stations across the country now. The album is being released as a regular 10-song version as well as in a deluxe edition that includes 4 bonus songs and access to exclusive video downloads.
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