Jeremy Parsons Releases New Single “Tickin’”

Americana and rustic western swing have been all the rage in 2022, but on the flip side, a new breed of country artist is emerging from the background shadows, and at the forefront of this movement we find singer/songwriters like Jeremy Parsons, whose new single “Tickin’,” has the firepower of a startlingly dark alternative rock tune with all of the swaggering undertow that fans have come to demand in a “New Nashville” act. Parsons isn’t trying to change the narrative of the traditional country sound in this track, but rather adding his own rock-friendly bend to a tried and true framework. 

URL: https://jeremyparsonsmusic.com/

Other than the outline of the rhythm, this single has little in common with country’s old school. It’s contemporary and has an almost cosmopolitan polish that makes it a nice crossover for listeners who enjoy both industrial rock in the style of Trent Reznor along with some rough and tumble rock from time to time. He isn’t trying to pander to two separate markets in this song, but instead appealing to the sensibilities of multiple audiences by merely being himself and showing off his eclectic influences and means of play. It’s clear that he grew up listening to just as much indie rock as he did country, and he tips his hat to both here quite boldly. 

The melodic instruments are made all the sharper thanks to the rigidity of the bassline in this track. It’s not quite the boisterous bumping of a hip-hop single, but the bass in “Tickin’” is surprisingly assaultive and, at times, a bit reckless in tone. This doesn’t create a jaggedness in the rhythm of the music though; in fact, it creates a bit of much-needed contrast that prevents the song from sounding repetitive or overwhelming in its dynamic chorus. 

Jeremy Parsons uses his lyrics in this single to introduce some blue-collar grit into an otherwise streamlined song structure, and much to my delight, he doesn’t draw from the same well of predictableness that so many of his less-than-erudite peers have in recent months. If he isn’t speaking from the heart in “Tickin’,” then he is doing a mighty fine job of fooling me and pretty much every other critic that has been abuzz with its upcoming release this November. If any element of his energy in this track translates to his live performances, then he’s going to gain even more esteem from his scene brethren once he takes to the road. 

As far as modern country singers go, there are a lot of different artists making music that goes above and beyond what I would consider exceptional, but there’s something special about Jeremy Parsons that makes him undisputedly among the cream of the crop. He’s raw, straightforward, soft-spoken, and a little mischievous in “Tickin’,” and while we’ll be able to tell a little bit more about his sonic profile in a new, proper full-length offering, this is a supreme sample of a sound that I am excited to see him cultivate a bit further. 

Michael Rand