No longer is there an expectation around the results of a Willie Nelson record. He has proven for decades, recently even, that the best course of action for him is playing what he wants, and how he wants to. For Oh What a Beautiful World, Nelson relies on the covers which made previous album Last Leaf on the Tree so endearing but finds a clearer route through in adapting songs from Rodney Crowell. Nelson finds not just a new tone in this long and winding career, but a way of understanding the perspectives Crowell has in store. Though the title may feel completely at odds with the torturous realities, Nelson toys with the isolation and reflection which comes with being in his twilight years. He has opened his heart to thanks and, in between covering The Flaming Lips and Tom Waits, finds ways of connecting with the country he remembers.
Gentle and familiar country efforts are what you get from Nelson here. For those who enjoy his seasoned vocal style, the rambling-like acoustic work which backs him to this day, that is still intact. It is a welcoming tone after all these years and his vocal work is still strong, that is the crucial point to prove early on for Oh What a Beautiful World. Opener What Kind of Love does just that, the blur of pleasure and pain is backed by some limited but inevitable piano keys and electric guitar momentum. Predictable, sure, but as honest as it is heartfelt. Breezy trail-adjacent songs which, despite the artificially generated cover slop, has a bit of heart and honesty to it. The Fly Boy & The Kid keeps up the light sound, the longevity of Nelson overtaking any suggestion of new sounds or exciting fixtures. A harmonica here, a cover there, it is the familiar route.
Nelson makes this walk along familiar roads an enjoyable one, though. Adapting the sharp wordplay and emotional depths of Crowell with a voice which can still bring a tear to the eye, that is the purpose of Oh What a Beautiful World and Nelson hits on it well. Consistency is crucial for these cover albums of his and he has proved that time and again. I Wouldn’t Be Me Without You is a standout moment, a song which relies on the comfort and longevity of Nelson’s voice. The instrumentals are never anything special. Session musician stock which serves its purpose. What Nelson can add as a vocalist, though, that is the game-changer for a handful of these songs. Disregard the real world and focus on the soft beauties around you, that is what Nelson hopes listeners can do.
But can we? Oh What a Beautiful World may be a collection of covers but Nelson wishes to make quiet commentaries with the words of Crowell recontextualised. Once the spectacle dies down, the thrill of hearing the legendary performer still create, what is left are relatively lax and tame reflections through the words of another. Nelson has gotten used to this style of work; some of his best-remembered moments are covers of this artist or that song. Nothing wrong with that, and finding a new meaning in the songs featured on Oh What a Beautiful World is clear. They sound instrumentally short-changed, but the lyrics themselves are often tender. Open Season on My Heart offers a late-stage album spark, as does the reflections of death on Still Learning How to Fly. An easy-going album, a traipse through the life and love Nelson believes we should have for the world, irrespective of the horrors. His charming momentum across Oh What a Beautiful World is difficult to disagree with.
