‘Pirate Flag’ by Kenny Chesney Provides Intrigue For The Album – Single & Video Review
There has been much hype around this song, claiming it will
begin Kenny’s move to a different terrain musically, and that the album will
follow that. However, when I first listened to the track, I find it a bit odd
and confusing.
The track begins with a quiet, unobtrusive organ melody, and
I’m sure I’m not the only one who’s made the mistake of trying to turn it up to
full volume due to this. Handclaps and a nicely strummed mandolin jump in, and
it sounds quite nice, quite sweet. At this point I was totally thrown off base
by a subtle key change in the music that happens mere milliseconds before Kenny
comes in with the vocals, that are in line with this sudden key change, in a
kind of pitched melodic rapping. To add to the confusion, the sweetness of the
instruments already in the mix are added to by a heavier drum beat and some
snappy muted distorted guitar, just hitting the bassier strings. The two ends
of the sonic spectrum clashing plus this rapping in a key that to me doesn’t
automatically fit with the key of the music, makes it rather a melting pot. The
heavier guitar part becomes more prominent as the song progresses, and then we
have its saving grace: the chorus.
The chorus launches in full pelt with the kind of country
rock from Kenny that we’re more used to hearing and the melody and key parts
that originally confused me begin to make a lot more sense. The chorus links
the whole song together and without it I’m not sure it would work, as after
that the second verse etc feels a lot easier on my ears. I can see Kenny’s
trying to go for something different and off-base as country music does tend to
stick to the familiar, traditional keys and melodies. Perhaps that’s why it
feels a little uncomfortable to me – I’m so used to hearing what I’m expecting
and what is ‘familiar’, that anything different sets me on edge. I think this
one is a grower, and definitely the more I hear it the more I get used to it.