For all you in-the-closet country lovers out there, it’s time to come out. Yes, it’s finally okay, Sarah Shook & the Disarmers have paved a place for all you country hipsters out there. In “New Ways to Fail” Sarah and her “Disarmers” redefine what it means to be country cool - or maybe they just bring it back to its roots. “New Ways to Fail” is old school country, with a modern DGAF vibe. After all, country, at its core, is just the lamenting blues with a touch of twang. It’s a genre that embraces the fact that sometimes it feels good to complain, sometimes it feels good to feel sorry for yourself, and sometimes it feels good to listen to some straight-up country music.
The video for “New Ways to Fail” is just about doing what feels good, against the backdrop of feeling bad. A day of skateboarding and spiked Slurpees with friends seems like a perfect remedy to the “just gonna lie here and complain” mentality that Sarah sings about. “New Ways to Fail” may be the name, but everything about this song and video is a win for Sarah Shook & the Disarmers.
-Robyn Dee
