If Sturgill Simpson seemed like an unlikely country star before — back when the Kentuckian was showcasing his rambling, psychedelic side in 2016's Grammy-winning A Sailor's Guide to Earth — wait until you hear what he's got planned next. On Sept. 27, Simpson will simultaneously release a new album and a new anime film on Netflix, both titled Sound & Fury.

Each promises to showcase the Kentuckian's louder, looser side — Simpson himself calls Sound & Fury "a sleazy, steamy rock-and-roll record" — but the film really promises to stretch the singer's boundaries. Writer-director Jumpei Mizusaki and character designer Takashi Okazaki worked with Simpson, who wrote the story (and the songs) on which the movie is based, to create anime accompaniment for each new track.

The first single from Sound & Fury, "Sing Along," is a dizzying and compact rock-and-roll jam — as much ZZ Top as, say, Chris Stapleton — that's perfect for a dark, kinetic bit of animation that conjures memories of Mad Max: Fury Road.

Copyright 2019 NPR. To see more, visit www.npr.org.

External Link

Sturgill Simpson