Tyler Childers built his career on being the modern voice of Appalachia. He has put his storytelling talents to use once again with his latest album, “Snipe Hunter.”
Shifting slightly away from his traditional style of production, classic acoustics and carrying songs with his vocals, Childers moved toward a rock-esque feel for this new addition to his impressive discography.
With “Eatin’ Big Time,” Childers opens with drums and distorted guitar while delivering guttural vocals. In the song, he sings about becoming famous, a major turnaround from his previous life, and how it took him by surprise.
In the third verse, he sings about his $1,000 watch and the flex it represents. That leads him to practically scream the next line, asking listeners if they’ve ever been able to aimlessly blow that much money.
In Appalachia, families are far from resources and often overlooked by the federal government, yet they remain rich in culture and tradition. Childers sings from the soul in “Eatin’ Big Time,” because he knows the struggles of Appalachia while remaining appreciative of his roots.
In the chorus, he sings, “Eatin’ big time, ain’t she pretty, ain’t she witty, ain’t she great.” Though not known, “Eatin’ Big Time” is slang for EBT cards, or food stamps.
Childers delivers a balance of his roots and his new life. He is aware of the differences but still appreciates both.
“Nose on the Grindstone” was known to fans but had not been formally released as a studio version, until now. This song is very different from the rest of the album, following Childers’ classic formula of raw vocals carried by acoustic guitar.
Written from the perspective of a son speaking to his father, the son reflects on the advice his father, a coal miner who has been injured permanently from the hard work, has given him. It offers an honest look at the truths of addiction.
Childers is a Kentucky native who has been releasing music for more than a decade. He has previously sung openly about living as a person with a substance use disorder and the challenges it brought to his life.
In 2017, “Whitehouse Road” was released. Childers describes a life of partying and constantly being on the road. He sings, “Get me drinkin’ that moonshine/ Get me higher than the grocery bill.”
His song “Nose on the Grindstone” reflects his personal journey toward sobriety. Childers has become and remained sober since 2020 and has spoken openly about his recovery, encouraging others through his own story.
Some listeners have been critical of his new style, suggesting that sobriety has caused Childers to experiment with his music. A few have made distasteful comments about this growth in his artistry.
Similarly, some listeners took the title of the album too literally and thought Childers was playing a prank. In Appalachia and the South, a “snipe hunt” is a prank in which someone is sent hunting for an imaginary bird called a snipe.
Childer has never shied away from sharing his beliefs, which may contribute to criticism by country music listeners. In recent years, he featured a same-sex couple in his music video for “In Your Love” and performed his hit “Universal Sound” at the 2023 inauguration of Kentucky’s Democratic governor.
Whether listeners see Childers as the modern voice of Appalachia or believe he has drifted away from his original sound, “Snipe Hunter” shows he isn’t afraid to step outside his comfort zone and deliver a compelling album. Maybe chasing the snipe was Childers’ way of saying that the hunt is the whole point.
