No less than John Lennon reminded us that “Life is what happens to you while you’re busy making other plans.” The same reasoning partly drives Allen Brooks use of the idea. In Lennon’s case, the arrival of a boy, Sean, wonderfully derailed his plans and set his life on a different course. In Brooks’s case, finding love changed his course of destiny.
But that perfectly sums up the unpredictable nature of our time here on earth: the unexpected change of tack because someone special has come into your life. And what better way to have your plans knocked off kilter than with the arrival of the love of your life? And with the right person by your side, you can do anything. And Brooks should know as he has been living the life of the singer-songwriter across the Midwest for a long time.
Sonically, Brooks leans heavily into some traditional country vibes, the sort of sound that Nashville was built on, and the echo of the sound of The Grand Ole Opry. Guitars strum and deliver perfect melodies, steel pedals soften everything, and drums kick out a perfect, understated dance groove. You can almost hear the boot heels click in time to the groove on the wooden floor, and positivity and optimism in the song are palpable.
But there is also enough of the modern age in this song to make this song anything but just a reworking of tried and tested sounds. It may be based on established sounds, but it brings enough to the table to justify itself as anything but nostalgic. What I’m saying is that while Brooks knows where the music he loves has been, he is only interested in where he can take it next.
As the song says, Brooks is not one to give up on his dreams, and even though the song documents the various passages of his life, changeable and challenging as some of them may have been, he is still pursuing them. Still making music. Still an established local figure. Still having fun. Still being the person he wants to be.
Music for the forward-thinking country fan? Of course. Roots music with a twist? Yes, indeed. A song that blends wisdom and optimism with the established music traditions? That too. A great song? An incredible artist? A must-watch musician? Yes. Yes. And hell, yes!
