Lukas Nelson & POTR blur genres, discover most soulful sound yet on 'Sticks and Stones'

"Sticks and Stones," the latest album by Lukas Nelson & POTR, proves the line between Americana and country music right now is merely a matter of sonic tastes that can change as soon as the needle drops on another album track.

Nelson explained to The Tennessean why merging the genres is necessary.

"The hippies and the cowboys are separated again in country music. They need to come back together," he said on an early June afternoon.

The Texas native is eight albums into a 15-year mainstream career co-signed by a who's who of '70s-era music. The 1970s are another era when guitar-driven genre lines frequently blurred — and yes, in country music, the cowboys and hippies were not separated.

Through his album's bluesy, honky-tonk-ready Lainey Wilson duet "More Than Friends," Nelson's now an Americana chart-topping artist. This, perhaps more than anything, should shift conversations past his notable work with those previously mentioned '70s-era stars including John Fogerty, B.B. King, Bob Weir, Neil Young and yes, his legendary nonagenarian father, Willie Nelson.

Nelson and his quartet's work is a testament to a busy touring schedule playing gigs like a forthcoming run of 11 shows in 14 days as a headliner in 1,500-capacity rooms, plus supporting acts like Tedeschi Trucks Band in much larger arenas.

Fans of Americana, country and rock are again becoming well-versed in a style that Nelson calls "country soul funk." However, Nelson's ability to occupy spaces sonically and lyrically to the left and right of what are again becoming well-navigated realms is keying his record's early success ramping into its release.

He's proud of the album's songs like "Ladder Of Love," which mix elements of Western swing with bluesy piano chords, creating a style similar to bluegrass that also feels like country and jazz.

The now veteran artist leading a group of performers adept at making thoughtful, timeless Southern-style rock featuring anything from introspective lyricism to virtuoso-style musicianship decided to move in a more humorous direction on the band's latest album. That lends itself to creating a joyful live atmosphere.

"Authenticity exists beyond genre," Nelson says.

He mentions Adele, Ray Charles, Patsy Cline, Lady Gaga (with whom he worked as a co-producer for the film soundtrack of 2018's "A Star Is Born"), John Legend and Diana Ross in quick succession when discussing musicians he feels have superseded the industry's expectations.

In his mind, they've created authentic music that — similar to the work on his latest recording — surges past blurring edges between genres and instead aims to create music with greater longevity.

"Sticks and Stones," then, can also be regarded as a record that's as much about Nelson's art as it is about redefining himself.

"This is a biographical record that lends itself well to drinking and partying (there's songs entitled "Alcohallelujah" and "Every Time I Drink") — but, by the time it ends, you learn that as a result of that behavior, my life, in many ways, fell apart and the poignant simplicity of my songwriting shows how I rediscovered focus on my art and myself," he says.

"I'd be lying if I said I didn't wish that I was lying here with you," he croons, quoting "Lying," a poetic guitar ballad about being "resigned to [his] confusion" as to why he isn't with the one he loves so he can sleep easy through the night.

"Music allows me to sing about what I feel is right and wrong in the world," Nelson continues.

When pushed to describe precisely what he feels is right in the world, he discusses what has allowed him to play what he believes is something in the range of 5,000 gigs in the past two decades.

"I'm also onstage trying to capture a crowd's energy by using what I hope is my humor, humility and kindness to perform a meaningful body of work that speaks to how my heart uniquely feels."

Continuing, he makes a remarkable statement that is the ultimate reason to listen to his and his band's latest release.

"Country is at its best as a genre when so much of the pop effects get stripped away and there's soul injected into it."

This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Lukas Nelson, son of Willie, releases soulful album 'Sticks and Stones'