Review: John Mellencamp Puts Up the Good Fight

John Mellencamp/Orpheus Descending/Republic Records
4.5 out of five stars 

Given the dismal attitude that tempered last year’s outing, Strictly A One-Eyed Jack, one might have reason to expect a similar pessimistic perspective might carry over to its follow-up, ominously titled Orpheus Descending. Happily though, it shows Mellencamp regaining his drive and determination. He may still be concerned with today’s sad state of affairs, but rather than allowing himself to be trampled under by those troubles, he chooses instead to rally and revolt. It not only results in one of his most outspoken efforts in recent years but one of his most inspiring as well.

Always the activist, the first pair of songs take aim at issues that are plaguing the nation and giving cause to the divide and discontent that seems to be in such ample supply these days. “Hey God” and “The Eyes of Portland” speak directly to this malaise, with Mellencamp railing against the discord engulfing the nation on the former, and lamenting the rise of homelessness in the latter. He’s clearly fed up, and yet he manages to offer a rallying cry along the way, delivering his message with a raspy resolve and equal amounts of grit and gravitas in order to underscore those scenarios. In a sense, he’s never sounded tougher and his commitment to cause is never in doubt. In “The So-Called Free” he refers to America as, well, the land of the so-called free, and laments the fact there’s no heroes anywhere.  

Yet, despite the tainted observations, Mellencamp still manages to hold on to his optimism, however painful they appear. The title song suggests there’s always a fuckin’ way. So too, “The Kindness of Lovers,” “Perfect World,” and the aptly titled “Understated Reverence” takes a more subdued approach, but a certain urgency still prevails. If not, the relentless rocker “One More Trick” makes matters clear.

Ultimately, Orpheus Descending ranks as one of the most commanding and compelling albums of Mellencamp’s entire career. A stirring summation of the problems that plague us, it still maintains a sense of optimism that no matter how hard the struggle, things can change if folks are willing to put in the effort. Use whatever you got to get whatever you want, he urges on “Lightening and Luck,” sharing a certain sentiment that might well be taken to heart.

I’ll try to do better with what time I have left, he suggests on “Backbone” as the album comes to a close. As any listener might agree, he’s doing fine as is. This effort is proof.

Photo by Myrna Suarez / Courtesy Sacks & Co