Everlast started off as a rapper – first as a solo artist and then with House of Pain – but as Love, War, and the Ghost of Whitey Ford makes clear, hip-hop is just one component of his multifaceted approach. Continuing in the tradition of Whitey Ford Sings the Blues, his 1998 breakthrough, Love, War moves between pop, country, rap and rock for deeply personal songs about (you guessed it) love and war. In some ways, Everlast’s album-making formula is so familiar to fans now that its eclecticism is hardly a surprise anymore. Still, Love, War is another strong set from an underrated singer-songwriter.
A Blistering Attack on Current Events
Love, War, and the Ghost of Whitey Ford announces Everlast’s willingness to be provocative on its very first track. Opening with a marching-band horn section and then a propulsive drum track, the protest song “Kill the Emperor” takes down the U.S. government, oil companies, CNN, The New York Times, the Iraq war and “politicians that pretend to be the working-man’s friend.” It’s a stirring track that thinks beyond blue-state/red-state simplicity to get at the heart of America’s current doldrums. “Kill the Emperor” is one of Love, War’s most overtly hip-hop songs and easily its most political track, setting the stage for the different styles and subject matter pursued later on the album.
Looking for Human Connection
Since his surprise hit single “What It’s Like” from Whitey Ford Sings the Blues, Everlast has been known for his ability to write listener-friendly acoustic numbers about personal struggles, whether they be his own or those of people close to him. Articulating common laments has been a mainstay of country music for many years now, and Everlast definitely has a bit of the good ol’ boy to him, singing in a soulful drawl that evokes an everyman persona. While they aren’t all technically acoustic tracks, songs like “Friend” and “Let It Go” speak of the need for human connection in universal terms. Adding to the songs’ charm, Everlast usually incorporates a philosophical live-and-let-live attitude in his lyrics, willing to accept his and others’ fallibility while hoping for brighter skies on the horizon.
Love Songs Are a Highlight
Some of the most surprising and satisfying moments on Love, War, however, come during the intimate love songs. The slow-motion ballad “Anyone” tells a twisted tale of a lonely, desperate man singing to his ex-girlfriend, eventually confessing to her, “Girl, I’d kill anyone for you.” The short-story details within the song make it hard to know if he’s just come from doing her dirty work or if the confession is metaphorical. Regardless, the song’s stripped-down arrangement makes the mystery chilling. Then on “Die in Yer Arms,” Everlast merges hard rock and rap for a lustful ode to his current flame, equating mind-blowing sex with death. While he has a gift for the commonplace observation, Everlast can also craft compelling narratives within his music that tweak conventional lyrical topics.
Hard-Earned Wisdom
Despite the flickers of optimism that appear on Love, War, and the Ghost of Whitey Ford, Everlast has gained enough hard-earned insight over the years to understand that life is fraught with difficulties. On the bluesy “Everyone,” he gruffly intones these discouraging words of wisdom: “Everyone cheats/Everyone lies/Everyone suffers/And everyone cries.” By balancing his disgust for the world around him with a hope that maybe things could one day be better, Everlast remains committed to the belief that even if everyone suffers, maybe a few good songs can help alleviate the misery.
“Die in Yer Arms”
“Everyone”
“Let It Go”
Best Tracks:
“Kill the Emperor”“Die in Yer Arms”
“Everyone”
“Let It Go”
Release date – September 23, 2008
