Austin Meade’s last album, Abstract Art of an Unstable Mind, brought together creativity, experimentation and so many different styles and subgenres; it is safe to assume that he has a knack for unique music. While the Texas scene is filled to the brim with talent, I firmly believe that Meade and his band have some of the most thoughtful and interesting work out there. You can see his change and growth around the release of 2021’s Black Sheep through his newest record mentioned before, Abstract Art of an Unstable Mind.
Meade dropped some new heat on May 25th that brings out yet another era in his story. “Blackout” is a very relatable song, which is a consistent characteristic in most of his songwriting. Meade has really matured in the past couple years with how he phrases lyrics, forms cadences and hammers down a good hook or melody – “Blackout” being no exception. Off the bat, you pick up on some electronic elements that give great support to the rhythm section. The overall aesthetic throughout the song, delivered by David Willie’s guitar work and Meade’s vocal delivery, gives off a punkish feeling while maintaining some straight up heaviness. The production is fantastic, which goes without saying these days when Taylor Kimball is involved with this group of musicians.
“Blackout” is a banger all day. If Meade continues this forward progression and exploration into new styles, that will prove just how talented he is. This will also push his peers to do the same thing instead of getting comfortable and just falling into a grab bag of bland music. If you’ve been reading the writeups on Raised Rowdy for a while now, there’s a very little chance you haven’t been educated on Austin Meade by now, but if not – get hip.
Listen to “Blackout” now!
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PyUfZTfvSos&w=560&h=315]Cover Photo from Austin Meade on Instagram