TOO LONG--At Times Good...Often BORING
I wanted badly to like "Brighter Than Creation's Dark." When I first heard the title of the album, I hoped DBT would revert to some of the hard-edged flare of "The Dirty South" or "Southern Rock Opera." Unfortunately, this latest Trucker's release is far too time-consuming and far too short on substance. While there are certainly some jewels on this disc ("The Man I Shot," "Two Daughters and a Beautiful Wife," and "A Ghost to Most"), there are several forgettable tracks. "Brighter Than Creation's Dark" suffers from the Guns N Roses "Use Your Illusion I & II" disease of foregoing a great, compact release for a lengthy average work. The CD is arguably nine songs too long. The Truckers should have released "Brighter Than Creation's Dark" as a solid 10-song disc. Far too often bands release too much filler on discs these days instead of giving listeners a solid, shorter work. As much as Shonna Tucker improves the visual image of the band, her songwriting hurts "Brighter Than Creation's Dark." The three tunes she offers on the release are forgettable at best ("The Purgatory Line") and just plain horrible ("I'm Sorry Huston"). Maybe Jason Isbell should have stayed on with the band and sent Shonna packing. Of course, Shonna isn't the only offender on "Brighter Than Creation's Dark." Mike Cooley also offers up a few duds ("Lisa's Birthday" and "Bob") as does Patterson Hood ("You and Your Crystal Meth" and "Daddy Needs A Drink"). All said "Brighter Than Creation's Dark" could have been a great album if it were trimmed down and cranked up a bit. Too often the album plods along at a SLOW tempo seemingly forgetting the band has its roots in Rock and Roll. If DBT keeps up at this pace, I may throw myself off Lookout Mountain to save the trouble of enduring another such slipshod collection.

Brighter than most other artists.
When that first song started up, I was immediately transported to "Little Bonnie", which to me in retrospect was one of the few bright spots on the last album. I recently lost my daddy, so DBT's have been on repeat pretty much. "Two Daughters and a Beautiful Wife" is, simply put, my favorite song so far of the last year of new releases. I often find myself sitting out in the cemetery, watching the rain fall onto the windshield of my truck as the lonesome banjo rolls on and the pedal steel wails directly into my heart. The harmony is absolutely breathtaking, and I've shed more than one tear listening to this song.

The rest of the album holds up to the very lofty expectations that the first song creates. As a southern family man, "The Righteous Path" made me think of the 'notice of foreclosure' I got one time right when our economy went to hell.

I have to say that Shonna's introduction on this album as a contributing singer/writer is something new and beautiful as well. I hope she keeps doing her thing for a long time to come. Patterson, Easy-B, Cooley, and Shonna have accompanied me on this hell-trip called life for a good while now. This album will get me a few miles further down the highway. It'll do the same for you too.

Need to get back to original stuff
I have been a faithful follower of this band for a long time and I must say that the last two albums have really been disappointing. The band clearly misses Jason Isbell, if not on the guitar side, but definitely on the songwriting and creativity side. After listening to this album, I've decided that Cooley is the only thing that keeps this CD from being sold to the highest bidder. Also, I know that the band loves Spooner Oldham, but I can't listen to any of the songs that have his awful Wurlitzer playing a half-step behind the rest of the song. It's like fingernails on a blackboard!! Three Dimes Down is a great song until I hear that da%n organ thing in the background, it's AWFUL!!! DBT, please stop experimenting and adding member's and get back to what made you popular, And that is down home, southern fried, gritty rock and roll.
It's a true disappointment.

Highly addictive
This is an amazing album by an amazing band. To me, this is the best album of the decade so far. Not that I know every record made, but it is my favorite of anything I have heard. Is it flawless, no, a few of the (19!) songs are good but not great, "That Man I Shot" could have used a little work on the structure / lyrics toward the end, but Patterson Hood just continues to amaze with some of the most intelligent lyrics (are some of them a bit dark, yes, but I find it interesting, insightful, and often wry / funny rather than morose) as does Mike Cooley, and Shonna gives a great freshman effort in throwing her impressive creativity into the mix. The music is as varied as it is excellent, although this is decidedly more mellow than some of their older work. The overall way DBT has mixed country, progressive rock, 70's rock, and southern rock into their own unique hybrid, and added in exceptionally intelligent lyrics and passion, to me is just frackin' awesome. I just love it when a band forges their own path that is hard to compare to what came before them, rather than just copying what has already been done. And I give them a lot of credit on this album to be able to recover from the loss of a key band member, and use that as an opportunity to go in a slightly different direction rather than re-hashing what they have already done. The elevation of Shonna into a song writing role, the heavier incorporation of steel guitar, and a greater proportion of...I hate to say mellow...it's not like it will put you to sleep, but most of it is more akin to the mellow tone of My Sweet Annette rather than the more blazing old songs like Sinkhole, but to me, that is nice in that it is something a little different. I am so addicted to this album. In the first week I got it I listened to it over and over and over until I had to force myself to stop, for fear of wearing out the appeal of it. I can't get it out of my head. Buy this album.

Takes a few times
I was put off at first but after a few listens I really can say I am a DBT fan.

"I shot a man" in the context of our country's current wartime scene is chilling.

"Monument Valley" conjures up pleasant memorys of desert rock climbing trips.

"Bob" and "Lisas birthday" are a hoot.