Tyler Farr "A Guy Walks Into A Bar" Single Review

     Tyler Farr has been chugging along, putting out a few singles to radio and getting his name out there. While I initially liked “Redneck Crazy”, the more I heard it, the more I realized the underlying creepiness of the song. His next single “Whiskey In My Water” was just cliché and bland to me, so Tyler Farr really didn’t have my interest. This new single has my spidey sense tingling, however. It’s a clever play off of an old joke, and it’s perfect for country radio. “A Guy Walks Into A Bar” is another big step in the right direction for mainstream country music.

     “A Guy Walks Into A Bar” follows in the footsteps of Florida-Georgia Line’s “Dirt” and Blake Shelton’s “Neon Light” as an example of how mainstream country radio is finally listening to the hordes of fans who demand more substance from radio. This song takes the old “guy walks into a bar” line and creates a heartbroken narrative around it. “the jokes on me, and it ain’t funny, everybody but me saw the punchline comin’ a mile away”, Tyler sings in the opening lines. The song progresses through his sad state of affairs and stays bleak and remorseful throughout. That’s what I’m talking about.

     The song has some loud production, but as far as mainstream country goes, it’s actually pretty decent. You won’t mistake it for Hank Williams, but you won’t mistake it for Justin Timberlake either. There’s steel guitar and guitar, and the melody has a very nice flow to it that makes it very catchy and easy to listen to. Honestly, the biggest issue is Tyler Farr’s voice. It is certainly unique, and probably something that his fans love and his detractors hate. It sounds like he gargled an entire bowl of nails before the recording session and had a bottle of Jack to wash it down. It’s very abrasive, and in the hands of a smoother singer, this song would be even better.

     All in all, “A Guy Walks Into A Bar” is a picture of the positive steps country music is taking. We still have some artists trying to cling to the bro-country bubble for as long as possible, but it seems a lot of artists are finally realizing that ship has sailed, they went to that well too many times, and now it’s time to get serious or be forgotten. Tyler Farr will do well if he mixes in songs like this into his catalog more often. “A Guy Walks Into A Bar” is yet another motion in the right direction, and worthy of your attention.