Bad by Design?

"... between recklessly raw country and unapologetic rock ‘n’ roll spiked with just the right amount of metallic unpredictability and a righteous sense of humor. Think of it like putting Waylon Jennings, System of a Down, and Led Zeppelin in a saloon blender on high, soaking it in whiskey, and lighting it on fire after the first swig."

(DBLBLK Records/Elektra / Press Release, August 18, 2023)

When Riley Thomas independently released his first song 'Cowboys Did Cocaine' - a rock banger with strong country references - in January of 2022, nobody could have even hoped that some 2 1/2 years later the title would have amassed almost 23 million streams on Spotify. A song on which, by the way, a whole team of 6 songwriters was involved on top of Riley Thomas.

The unexpected success of the song was reason  enough for major label Elektra/DBLBLK Records to sign the Florida-born artist in August of 2023. Immediately afterwards, it re-released the song with full license rights, together with an all new song. The latter titled 'I'll Be Damned', sounds like a biting reckoning with the music industry (in Nashville). "Suits are runnin' Music City, sell my song, don't sell my soul", sings Riley Thomas.

The accompanying Elektra - press release attempted to describe the stylistically difficult to grasp song by saying: "It doesn’t just break down boundaries; it incinerates them. Powered up by the twang of bluegrass banjo, "ignorant harmonica", hypnotic fiddle, and thick distorted guitar, its upbeat verses crash full speed into a wild arena-ready hook."

Exactly one year later, on August 16, 2024, Riley Thomas eventually released his debut project. It is an EP ("Bad By Design") with only 5 songs, produced by (Alex) Sacco from Los Angeles, who also co-wrote the title song.

Which also sets the theme for the project. On Instagram Riley Thomas says about it: "[It's about] alcohol use, smoking, foul language, [and] some violence." It's not quite that bad, but the focus is on dark, alcohol-soaked topics. Consequently it is up to the listener to judge whether the mention of God, Waylon Jennings and whiskey in one verse is a commercial gimmick or still poetic creativity:

I think god was playin Waylon when he was making me.

Spun the dust into one more cowboy while he poured himself a drink.

Bet his heart was probably aching when he gave me mine,

that’s why all that I was made for was good whiskey and goodbye.

(Bad By Design /  Riley Thomas, Michael Whitworth, Alex Sacco, Conor Mathews) 

The theme of the first song ('Dive Bar Grave') is not difficult to guess. Of course, it's about burying the pain of a broken heart in a bar underneath alcohol and smoke. A plan that is stylistically implemented with driving country rock and even a short metal blues break.

Things calm down with the album's likely highlight: 'Angels'. It's the realization of his own inadequacies, to which this special woman ultimately falls hopelessly, that echoe sombrely:

[She] bet her heart of gold on a hopeless man

and we danced until I swept her out of Eden.

She gave her best to the worst of me

and I stole her smile and I broke her wings.

 She fell from grace and god knows I’m the reason

Even Angels have Demons.

(Angels / Alex Sacco, Conor Matthews, Dan Henig, Evan Gartner, Michael Whitworth, Riley Thomas)

The mid-tempo 'Dead Horse', on the other hand, tries desperately to cling to a relationship that is probably long dead. Or is it?

I hear a knock on my door,

I need you one more time.

And by the look in your eye,

that Deadhorse ain’t ready to die.

(Angels / Conor Matthews, Andrew Baylis, Michael Whitworth, Riley Thomas) 

Riley Thomas is yet far from being a household name and even on social media he is barely present. With "Bad By Design" he is trying to stand with both feet in both the rock and country world. In terms of content, he presents himself as a dark outsider and as a last outlaw (as in 'I'll Be Damned').

At the same time, he emphasizes on Instagram on September 18, 2024: "I'm a country artist and I write country music", and on Spotify one can read about his performance at the tender age of 11, which still moves him today, when he was allowed to sing a song by Hank Williams.

The EP "Bad By Design" is by no means that! There are exciting new influences that are brought together creating something all different. But the wide-ranging picture still doesn't sound quite coherent and thematically a bit overblown. Consequently it's not entirely clear where this is going to lead. And it almost seems as if even Riley Thomas is not quite sure about that yet either ...