Great Peacock: Forever Worse Better
“Don’t quit your day job” is the standard insult used by hecklers to put down performers, but the new Great Peacock record, Forever Worse Better, took shape as part of band frontman/guitarist Andrew Nelson’s day job. That job has him driving a truck delivering meat from a small farm to restaurants around the southeast. It gives him plenty of alone time which leads to inspiration for writing songs. Nelson says he would use phone apps to record lyrics and work out basic arrangements while he was on the road between deliveries. With the 2020 pandemic shutting down the live music industry, Nelson was happy to have that day job.
Photo by Harrison Hudson
Nashville-based Great Peacock has been around since 2013 when they released Making Ghosts. Nelson, along with Blount Floyd on guitars & harmony vocals, and Frank Keith IV on bass, followed that Americana-flavored debut with the much more electric Gran Pavo Real in 2018. For this third record they decided to make the big move of producing and funding Forever Worse Better themselves. They bought their own recording gear and took their time in the studio. Nelson and Floyd share production credits with most of the tracks recorded in live takes at Nashville’s Sound Emporium and overdubs done at Floyd’s home studio. The result is a collection of songs that defy categorization. It rocks far too hard to be called Americana, it’s much too mature to be considered Pop, and it sure as hell ain’t any kind of Country. What it is, is Great Peacock. They call themselves “Nashville’s next great southern rock band,” and I can’t argue with that.
"The first half of the album is about feeling empty and looking to fill that void with romance," says Nelson. "It's about a girl, and I didn't wind up getting that girl. The second half — and the album as a whole, really — is about learning to love and accept yourself. Those themes tie in with this being the band's third album. We're struggling to find success, and I want people to know we're struggling, just like they are. There's a light at the end of the tunnel, though, and you can work hard to get to it."
The tracks are split between mid-to-up-tempo rockers that express some level of hope and optimism mixed with anger (“All I Ever Do,” “Strange Position,” “Dissatisfaction,” “High Wind,” “Old Man”) and the quieter songs of reflection and disappointment (“Heavy Load,” “Forever, Worse, or Better,” “Rock of Ages,” “Help Me Lord,” “Learning to Say Goodbye”).
Great Peacock brought in some guest musicians to fill out the sound for the record including pedal steel whiz Adam Kurtz who recently pulled a stint as part of BJ Barham’s American Aquarium. Additional slide guitar parts were added by Jason Isbell sideman Sadler Vaden and the always-in-demand Steve Daly. Nick Recio adds a solid drum track throughout.
Forever Worse Better captures Great Peacock as the band is realizing its full potential as songwriters and musicians. The songs are strong, the playing is confident, and the production is solid. I can’t wait to hear how it all sounds live. I’m sure the band is ready to get back out on the road and Andrew Nelson is ready to be heading to a gig rather than another day job delivery.
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