Brian Paddock: The Hero We Deserve
Singer/songwriter Brian Paddock (who is from Knoxville, but recently relocated to Chicago) has had his share of heartache and tragedy. From his mother’s illness and passing, to his own cancer diagnosis and treatment, there were times in his past that life was far from easy. But the despair he felt during all of that was put on paper and ended up being his 2nd album, Love Is Weird.
While touring for Love Is Weird, he took the time on the highways and in hotel rooms to write what became The Hero We Deserve. This album, releasing on April 10, 2020, has 11 tracks which touch on many subjects, including meetings with random strangers, relationships that sadly didn’t happen, his take on various issues in our world, and who plays the best Batman in the movies.
I listened to the album on a breezy day while at work (from home, of course, since we are on lockdown) and immediately noticed Brian’s distinct voice. It is warm and raspy; sometimes more of a whisper and other times deliberate and strong. After listening to the songs again, I was curious about many of them and reached out to Brian to chat. And like I told him, I love trying to decipher new songs and their meaning. To me, the best part is to be able to get in the artist’s head and know what they were thinking when they wrote the words. Brian was gracious enough to give me some background on the songs and his input solidified the fact that he is an amazing songwriter and storyteller.
Photo By Olivia Leigh Photography
My favorite song on the record is “The Tourniquet.” It is gorgeous and haunting, especially in the beginning with just his acoustic guitar and voice. The lyrics hint at a wayward girl with a drug problem who kills a man with her car. “Never saw him coming, till he crashed through my windshield. Didn’t want to hurt no one, just can’t stand to feel.” After listening a few more times to the lyrics, I came to the conclusion that the song was a bit different than I first thought. Brian confirmed my thinking when he explained the girl killed the man on purpose because he assaulted her. She is not a drug addict, the tourniquet and the needle he sings about is the lethal injection she is about to receive. This song hit me hard, and I am sure it will hit hard for many others. It is painfully beautiful.
“Your Favorite Record” is the first song on the album. It is a somewhat laid-back rocker that opens with a great drum and bass line, and then forges on to include a guitar solo and even some keys backing it all up. Brian mentioned that this song was written as a pep talk to himself during a time after the last album came out. He was down and depressed and did not have a project to put his energy into. This sort of tongue in cheek song was the result.
The 3rd track, “King of Fort Worth,” is definitely a great country song, complete with some amazing fiddle playing. This is the true story of a strange character that Brian met while he was out touring with his buddy, Josh Smith (Handsome & the Humbles). While at a bar in Fort Worth, the guy sat down with them and started talking. “He said he knew the Beatles Mick and Keef too, He played on a record called Dark Side of the Moon.” Meeting interesting people is all part of a touring musician’s life, and this one obviously stuck with Brian for a while. I wonder if Prince Jeffrey knows there is a song about him.
“Hit Radio Song” is another fun rock song that pays tribute to the life of an independent artist and the never ending gigs at random bars. It is hilariously written , with my favorite line referencing Tom Petty when he sings, “Cooter Brown keeps requesting Wildflowers track 3, but we already covered Refuge.” There are so many great lines in this song, you almost feel like you are part of the band and actually experienced it. Brian said that this song was primarily about a gig in Athens, GA at the Nowhere Bar, which is a great little dive in the heart of one of my favorite southern towns. I have a feeling that Brian has a lot of fellow musicians as fans, and this is one of the reasons why. I love this song and the humor he finds in this crazy lifestyle.
“Skies Over Birmingham” is a somewhat sad, but hopeful song of a missed opportunity with love. The lyrics are very personal and his raspy voice delivers them quite matter of factly. And while songs of lost love are the staple of country music, this one seems more deliberate. It is all about realizing he made a mistake, but too much time has passed, and now he is just happy that she is doing so well. This song is his way of forgiving himself and moving on.
Brian tackles a very tough subject in the song “October 12.” The story of Atatiana Jefferson made headlines late last year after she was shot in her own home for no reason. Brian did a beautiful job telling the story, by referencing what was happening in his own life at the time that Atatiana was killed. And while Brian admits he may not be the right person to talk about this issue, he does it with emotion and empathy and the result is an incredible song that is extremely relevant.
The Hero We Deserve is a phenomenal album that has a little bit of everything. The upbeat and even funny songs on the record tend to counterbalance the heaviness of some of the other songs/subjects. I loved something about every single song on this record. Overall, this album should absolutely not be missed. I am definitely a fan of Brian Paddock now, and I am sure this record will bring plenty more.
Buy the album and some merchandise here:
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