Song of the Week: Willie Nelson Joins Billy Strings on Effortlessly Charming “California Sober”

Paolo Ragusa and Consequence Staff

April 28, 2023 at 2:30 PM·7 min read

Oops!
Something went wrong.
Please try again later.
Oops!
Something went wrong.
Please try again later.
Oops!
Something went wrong.
Please try again later.
Oops!
Something went wrong.
Please try again later.

The post Song of the Week: Willie Nelson Joins Billy Strings on Effortlessly Charming “California Sober” appeared first on Consequence.

Song of the Week delves into the fresh songs we just can’t get out of our heads. Find these tracks and more on our Spotify Top Songs playlist, and for our favorite new songs from emerging artists, check out our Spotify New Sounds playlist. This week, bluegrass behemoth Billy Strings recruits Willie Nelson for the stoner-friendly “California Sober.”

Country artists have long written about the trappings of alcohol. For every heartland ode to cold beer and Southern Comfort, there’s a counter offering that suggests alcohol is a major contributor to feeling disconnected, isolated, lovelorn, and insecure.

Weed, on the other hand, has a similar complicated past with country music, but in the last two decades, the cultural tide has begun to shift towards more explicit endorsements in the genre. In comes bluegrass extraordinaire Billy Strings to the fold, who has recruited longtime cannabis advocate Willie Nelson for a new song about kicking the hard stuff and, well, growing up. To say you’re “California Sober” means you’re refraining from every substance — alcohol, cocaine, pills, etc. — except for pot. It’s a common move for folks who are recovering from more intense addictions, who recognize the danger of alcohol and harder drugs, but turn to weed for its medicinal and stress-relieving properties.

Though the song’s central idea and cheery, upbeat tone suggest that “California Sober” is purely a joke, both Strings and Nelson are unapologetically earnest about it. “The old crew don’t get together much these days,” reflects Nelson on his second verse, concluding that “some went straight and some went straight to jail” and are now “busy posting vids and just trying to raise their kids/ Instead of raising holy hell and posting bail.”

For the 89 year-old Willie Nelson, it’s totally understandable that he’s not out with his old buddies getting blasted and making mistakes — but for Billy Strings, it’s a more fraught sacrifice. As he lays out his reasoning for laying off the booze, he eventually lands on the revealing final verse: “I was California Sober ’til I thought the world was over/ Now I’m sitting on the roadside once again/ And when that wagon passes by, I don’t even bat an eye/ Because the devil on my shoulder always wins.” It’s assumedly a reference to the bleakness of the pandemic, and how many folks turned back to their vices in the wake of global paranoia and anguish.

Even though Strings feels the knotty influence of a devil on his shoulder, his turn with Willie Nelson feels refreshing and warm. Their comforting harmonies are laced with sweetness, and as always with Billy Strings, the banjo, lap steel, and guitar work is unmatched. It’s a wonderful return to Strings’ usual buoyant country fare, and even approaching the age of 90, Willie Nelson is as charming as ever.

With just one song, Strings and Nelson seem to bring the best out in each other — and if “California Sober” is any indication, there’ll be plenty more smoke sessions in store for the two, devil or none. For more stoner-friendly jams, check out our recent list of the 50 Best Weed Albums of All Time.

— Paolo Ragusa
Associate Editor

Get Willie Nelson Tickets here

Honorable Mentions

Jessie Ware — “Freak Me Now”

Jessie Ware’s spectacular new album, That! Feels Good!, is worthy of multiple listens: Ware is truly at the forefront of the disco revival, constructing lush, elaborate sonic landscapes that are beyond easy to get lost in. “Freak Me Now” lands about two-thirds of the way into the record and is as good a starting point as any for people curious about the glittery dance floor Ware is lording over. It’s absolutely impossible not to groove to this rhythm, and Ware’s melodies never fail. — Mary Siroky

Deb Never — “Paper Houses”

Multi-genre singer and songwriter Deb Never returns today with the revealing Thank You for Attending EP, and along with it, the EP’s moving closerm “Paper Houses.” There’s an appropriate amount of yearning baked into “Paper Houses,” with Deb Never sounding genuinely wounded when she sings, “This house ain’t a home without you.” But the most satisfying detail of “Paper Houses” arrives shortly after the two minute mark, where a breakbeat-propelled synth explosion cracks the song wide open. It’s a powerful way to close out a ballad, but it’s also a reminder that life has a funny way of letting the light flood in during the darkest moments. — P. Ragusa

Home Is Where — “yes! yes! a thousand times yes!”

The last Home Is Where project, the incredible I Became Birds, was a grab bag of the band’s influences and stylistic interests, seamlessly jumping from power pop to Neutral Milk Hotel-esque fuzz folk to full-on skramz. “yes! yes! a thousand times yes!,” the lead single from the Florida act’s upcoming The Whaler, somehow manages to wrangle all those sounds into a single song. The linear song structure is complemented by passionate performances and sticky melodies, over which vocalist Brandon MacDonald conjures images that fall between uncomfortably off-putting and disturbingly beautiful. If you’re wondering if it is time to jump on the Home Is Where bandwagon, look no further than the song’s name. – Jonah Krueger

Beach Fossils — “Run to the Moon”

The long awaited follow up to 2017’s Somersault is finally here, and with it, this spring’s greatest dream pop love song. “Run to the Moon,” the latest single off Beach Fossils’ forthcoming album Bunny, eases in with a warm instrumental fill that could be a B-side off George Harrison’s All Things Must Pass, before cutting in with the sun-bleached vocals and expressive lyricism that make the band so singular. A dip into nostalgia while firmly rooted in surf rock modernity, “Run to the Moon” is a welcome return from a band that is sure to soundtrack your summer. — Maura Fallon

Stephen Sanchez — “Only Girl”

Stephen Sanchez’s nostalgic sound is addicting. His latest, “Only Girl,” is an ode to classic romance that’s not seen as frequently in modern media, told through the eyes of two rival characters that populate his music videos. While structurally bare-bones, it’s hard to authentically sell a sound that could be pulled out of 1964, but Sanchez proves time and time again that he’s able to do so with ease. — M. Siroky

The Blessed Madonna — “Fuck what u heard”

If you aren’t worshipping at the shrine of The Blessed Madonna already, consider “Fuck what u heard” your moment of conversion and repentance. If you believe in dancing, the cathartic powers of house music, and generally just like to have a good time, this song is here to usher you into a new realm of being. With an unrelenting beat that won’t let you sit down but a vocal break that gives you time to breathe, “Fuck what u heard” is a high octane track made to keep the party going. — M. Fallon

Daiistar — “Tracemaker”

If the recent AI-generated Oasis album wasn’t quite cutting it for you, Daiistar is here to save the day. Fusing the sound and attitude of classic brit-pop with contemporary indie rock, their debut single “Tracemaker” is a true-blue, blood-pumping, raucous rock song fit for Liam Gallagher himself. Now signed to the UK label Fuzz Club, the Austin act has promised a full-length project by the end of the year. If the songs are this good, it might just be one to look out for. — J. Krueger

Suzie True — “Keep in Touch”

Suzie True’s “Keep in Touch” offers listeners everything a good DIY bop should: an intoxicating lead vocal performance, vibey timbres, and a ripping chorus. As if the song needed anything else going for it, the lyrics, which muse over the anger of being hopelessly lovesick, are scream-worthy and bound to be the inspiration for someone’s next stick-and-poke tattoo. Two bangers in, Suzie True’s upcoming LP Sentimental Scum is shaping up to be one hell of a release. — J. Krueger