Columbia

***1/2

Few LPs can swing the listener from ‘hate it’ to ‘love it,’ and that about-face in general and specifically with THE NIGHT CHAMPION, requires reservoirs of patience and many, many spins. At first play, my initial thought was very much: ‘oh no, not more of the same ol’ heavy-rock laden music dressed up as country that every guy that hits the Nashville studios thinks that is the way it should be.’ But I rarely dismiss music out-of-hand. Knowing that Koe Wetzel was very much flavour of the month on the ever-changing Nashville skyline, and having a little extra time on my hands than usual, I dove in deeper, searching for some kind of connection. I found it hidden deep in these ten stormy tracks, racing from fast, ferocious full-blown grungy rockers to searing, late-night ballads. A striking portrayal of a man desperate to unburden his fiery soul, yet deathly afraid of overstaying his welcome. Few artists can pull off such an impressive balance to turn a life of misadventure into a vicariously out-of-this-world experience.

Music has power. The power to change moods, to set hearts alight and to invigorate like no other medium. At its best it is three-dimensional, almost tactile, and like the best of Americana or Country, this is a powerful collection of stories, reflecting gut-searing thoughts and emotions. Koe Wetzel has led a dangerous life and his road to redemption may be dark, but its twists and turns are breathtaking. Few can put it so clear-eyed and succinctly. It’s no glorified, sanitised, PC treatment. He gives it to you warts and all. There is a certain spiritualism buried in his lyrics about his life battles and inherent disillusionment. The terror lurking in the unknown, and an apocalyptic sense that the end might be nearer than he fully realised. For sure, it is very much a personal statement, but also one that so many can nod to. No matter how positive it is, any life change brings a level of grief and sadness. You can’t reach out to the future without glancing back toward the past, or savour joy without acknowledging sorrow. Somehow, he also holds a sense of hope—if I can survive all THIS, then I can move forward into the daylight.

The two boldest interpretations are its opening tracks. Sinner is a great big fuzz ball of fiery, vivid, future-facing rock; Koe’s half sung/half preached vocal is instantly engaging, adding a major sense of urgency to the track. He takes an outside view of his own behaviour, which can be especially tough to do amid self-doubt and steeped in self-loathing and personal anguish. It will absolutely get your blood moving. The other is Circus, which maintains similar lyrics, but its approach is different. A sneakily but feverishly infectious slice of edgy rock to propel a track that carries a ruminative narrative about a life lacking direction.

Hurts So Bad, the album’s lead single, is also the catchiest, brightest song here. Drawing on big emotions that can make one broken, he boldly replaces break-up sorrow with hard-edged defiance. He takes a more subdued stance of acceptance to When I’m Gone. The repetitive electric guitar rhythm sets a steady pace—the track doesn’t have any unexpected crescendos or structural changes, which plays to its advantage as it links to the soothing undertones of the lyrics.There’s more of a world-weariness about Dollar And A Bottle, which gives it a little more pathos. With sultry guitars and a sense of despair in the track’s structure that perfectly complements the sentiment is somewhat consuming in its simplicity. The Texas singer- songwriter rolls vulnerability and crunch into a heady mix of compelling tracks that would sound great in an Arena setting, but even better in a dark, dingy club environment with a glass of Jack for company. 

https://www.koewetzelmusic.com

May 2026