Ryan Bingham’s Fear and Saturday Night

Ryan Bingham releases his latest record, Fear and Saturday Night, as the follow up to Tomorrowland, his 2012 “garage rock” solo departure from  his band The Dead Horses and record label Lost Highway. Of course before that, Bingham’s list of accolades included an Academy Award, Golden Globe Award, Critics’ Choice Award and Grammy Award for his 2009 musical contribution to the film Crazy Heart, the anathematic “The Weary Kind” which was a collaboration with seasoned soundtrack producer, T Bone Burnett.

More or less a return to his roots, Fear and Saturday Night opens with the humble “Nobody Knows My Trouble,” an autobiographical song which reflects Bingham’s rocky journey through life. He sings “I was born a cowboy way out west in New Mexico…Nobody know my trouble except my baby and me.”

The song “Broken Heart Tattoos” steps into a dirty mid-tempo rock style with a swirl of harmonica, finger-picked electric guitar and organs. “You shot me up with a wonderful love, running through my veins like a top shelf drug,” the grungy rocker, “Top Shelf Drug” kicks your face with fuzz distortion and lead guitar shrills. “Island In The Sky” a Dylan-esq folk-rock instrumentation ebbs and swells with intensity, “to the island in the sky.”

The mellow title track “Fear and Saturday Night” finds Bingham grumbling through the story of his rough and tumble youth, “I was born to run wild, hell it’s Saturday night and I’m going to town.” The track features tearing guitar splashes that are beautifully placed throughout like an antagonistic voice haunting the singer. The song “Radio,” is one of the highlights on the record, as one might find themselves screaming along like a teenager sticking it to the culture we find ourselves in. Bingham screams “My Radio makes me wanna just, lose my head,” fighting through a wave of guitar riffs and piano licks.

Closing out the record with “Hands of Time” and “Gun Fighting Man,” Bingham proves to cap a great collection of songs with a strong finish, that makes the listener want to put the album on repeat. Coming to grips with a more rock and roll style, the folky troubadour balances a roots feel in between guitar riffs as he did with the Dead Horses. The self-produced effort proves that Bingham’s ability as a producer has grown, as the instrumentation enhances his signature throaty vocals, sounding better than ever. Fear and Saturday Night deserves continued rotation and should be considered one of the top albums this year.

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