Sturgill Simpson: Metamodern Sounds In Country Music

Sturgill Simpson's Metamodern Sounds In Country Music represents an artist's attempt to redefine country music and its troubled vinyl legacy. When Sturgill Simpson released Metamodern Sounds In Country Music in 2014, he didn't just deliver an album—he detonated a philosophical bomb that would reshape country music's artistic landscape. This wasn't merely another entry in the alt-country canon; it was a manifesto that proved country music could embrace both tradition and transcendence without sacrificing its soul.

Recorded at LCS in Nashville with producer Dave Cobb at the helm, Metamodern Sounds emerged from Simpson's desire to push country music beyond its comfort zone. The album opens with "Turtles All The Way Down," a meditation on infinite regression that references everything from reptilian conspiracy theories to DMT experiences—hardly typical country fare, yet delivered with the earnestness and musical authenticity that makes it undeniably country. The result? An album that Simpson described as exploring "myriad worldly offerings - religion, drugs and more - all claim to be the omnipotent universal truth, but in my experience, love is the only certainty".

The album's sonic palette draws from traditional country structures while incorporating psychedelic textures, blues inflections, and philosophical lyrics that tackle subjects ranging from Buddhism to alien abductions. This wasn't country music trying to sound progressive—it was progressive ideas expressed through country music's vernacular.

Metamodern Sounds "marked a career breakthrough for Simpson personally and proved to be a seismic shift-maker within the larger country music genre", as noted in Rolling Stone's recent retrospective. The album earned a Grammy nomination for Best Americana Album in 2015, validating Simpson's approach of expanding country music's conceptual boundaries while maintaining its musical integrity.

The timing proved crucial. As mainstream country music increasingly embraced pop production and algorithmic songwriting, Simpson demonstrated that audiences hungered for authentic artistry that didn't pander or simplify. The album's success paved the way for other independent country artists to pursue more ambitious artistic visions. Not sure this is true? Look at Eric Church's evolution. His latest release Evangeline -vs- The Machine is far from his Sinners Like Me beginnings.

Unfortunately, Metamodern Sounds' vinyl history exemplifies modern pressing's quality control crisis. The album has been cut by two different mastering engineers, creating a stark dichotomy in sonic quality that continues to frustrate collectors.

The superior version features mastering by Pete Lyman at Infrasonic Mastering, identifiable by "PL" markings in the runout groove. However, numerous pressings were cut by Cameron Henry at Welcome to 1979, marked as "CJH" in the runouts. According to Discogs collectors, "CJH's pressing is harsher, crazy distortion on the high end" with "ticks and clicks and static throughout".

This mastering lottery affects multiple pressings, including early black vinyl releases, later reissues, and even Vinyl Me, Please's 2021 purple swirl edition. VMP's May 2021 Country Record of the Month featured the album on exclusive purple and white swirl vinyl, limited to 2,500 copies. However, the subscription service's treatment followed their typical pattern: premium pricing for cosmetic enhancement without sonic improvement.

Multiple VMP subscribers reported receiving the inferior CJH mastering, with one noting "there are definitely two versions of side A....if you have CJH stamped on side A you got a bad run". VMP's customer service, while responsive to complaints, couldn't prevent the initial disappointment of receiving a substandard pressing. The VMP edition also suffered from manufacturing defects, including "locked groove at the beginning of side B" issues that required replacement copies. These problems highlight the subscription service's fundamental challenge: sourcing from the same problematic supply chain while charging premium prices.

Simpson to the rescue! Well, not quite. In 2024, Simpson released a 10th Anniversary Edition featuring reimagined artwork and 180g black vinyl with an "old-style" tip-on jacket. However, even this premium release suffers from the mastering lottery, with collectors reporting "One unfortunately still has CJH and The other has PL". Unfortunately, the VMP release we reviewed was a CJH pressing on both sides. As such we can confirm the findings of others. Distortion, sibilance, pops, clicks, etc. Fortunately, we picked up the 10th anniversary edition and it was etched with PL in the runout. The difference is significant!

The pressing problems aren't entirely surprising given the distribution chain. High Top Mountain Records, Simpson's own label, relies on Thirty Tigers for marketing and distribution (same as Colter Wall and others). While this arrangement provides independent artists with major-label reach, it often results in pressing contracts with facilities prioritizing cost efficiency over quality control (e.g., GZ Media).

The persistent mastering issues across multiple years and pressing plants suggest systemic problems with quality oversight. Unlike labels that maintain strict quality control protocols, the High Top Mountain/Thirty Tigers arrangement appears to lack the infrastructure necessary to ensure consistent pressing standards.

The Vinyl Verdict
So what is a Sturgill Simpson fan and vinyl collector to do? The best option is to source a Pete Lyman (PL) mastered pressing, identifiable by runout etchings. Collectors report that "The vinyl version cut by Pete Lyman smokes the Spotify streaming version by a mile". Avoid any pressing with "CJH" markings, regardless of color or limited edition status. Trust us when we say that the purchase strategy to only buy from retailers (e.g., Amazon) accepting returns is worth the hassle. Otherwise, inspect runout etchings in person at your local shop before purchasing. The mastering differences are significant enough to warrant the extra effort.

Metamodern Sounds In Country Music stands as one of the most important country albums of the 21st century, a work that proved progressive ideas and traditional forms could coexist brilliantly. The vinyl legacy, however, serves as a cautionary tale about modern pressing's quality control crisis. 💵 (PL Version)

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