Long Violent History is the fourth studio album by American country music singer Tyler Childers. It is an album centralized on the title track, a protest song against racism. Childers released the album in 2020 with no publicity other than a six-minute video.

Long Violent History
Studio album by
ReleasedSeptember 18, 2020 (2020-09-18)
GenreCountry,[1] bluegrass[1] Old Time[1]
LabelHickman Holler
ProducerTyler Childers
Tyler Childers chronology
Country Squire
(2019)
Long Violent History
(2020)
Can I Take My Hounds to Heaven?
(2022)

Content edit

In September 2020, Childers announced the album's release via a video message posted on YouTube.[2] In the six-minute video, Childers addresses the album's central themes in opposition of racism, especially when viewed from the perspective of "rural white" listeners. The album is mostly composed of traditional fiddle tunes, but ends on the title track, a protest song.[3] According to NPR, Childers cited the Black Lives Matter movement, along with the Battle of Blair Mountain in 1921, as the two main influences of the album's themes.[4]

Critical reception edit

Stephen Thomas Erlewine of AllMusic wrote that it was "the rare protest album that doesn't need words to shout, and it's all the more powerful because of it."[1]

Track listing edit

All tracks public domain except "Long Violent History", written by Tyler Childers.

  1. "Send In the Clowns" - 4:08
  2. "Zollie's Retreat" - 2:25
  3. "Squirrel Hunter" - 3:59
  4. "Sludge River Stomp" - 4:38
  5. "Midnight on the Water" - 4:08
  6. "Camp Chase" - 3:54
  7. "Jenny Lynn" - 3:10
  8. "Bonaparte's Retreat" - 2:46
  9. "Long Violent History" - 3:10

Charts edit

Chart (2020) Peak
position
US Billboard 200[5] 45
US Top Country Albums (Billboard)[6] 6

References edit

  1. ^ a b c d "Long Violent History". AllMusic. Retrieved January 18, 2021.
  2. ^ "Folk Album Review: Tyler Childers's "Long Violent History" – An Appalachian Murder Ballad for Breonna Taylor". Arts Fuse. September 26, 2020. Retrieved January 18, 2022.
  3. ^ Angela Stefano (September 18, 2020). "Tyler Childers Hopes 'Long Violent History' Makes Listeners Think, Then Act". The Boot. Retrieved January 18, 2022.
  4. ^ "Tyler Childers Pushes Back On Southern Values And Our 'Long, Violent History'". NPR. September 18, 2020. Retrieved January 18, 2022.
  5. ^ "Tyler Childers Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard.
  6. ^ "Tyler Childers Chart History (Top Country Albums)". Billboard.