It is a very distinct possibility that S.E. Hinton's characterization of Ponyboy inspired me to become an English teacher.  I can still visualize the font on the pages, the wrinkles in the worn out paperback cover.  The book was placed on my desk by one of my favorite teachers, probably to serve as a pacifier for my restless classroom attention span; this gift (thank god), propelled me into a love of reading.  The Outsiders simply has the ability to do this for teenage boys.  I currently teach 12th graders and most young men (much like myself) point to this novel as a high point in their literacy autobiographies.  The misfit protagonist cooked up everything I needed as a seventh grade kid growing up in suburban Cincinnati.  He held my value system, even if lodged beneath a hardened exterior I'd never possess.  As a reader, I not only understood that I could relate to characters, but that I could also empathize, as well.  I've still never held a switchblade, nor have I robbed anyone.  I have, however, used those early adolescent lessons to guide me into many adult pursuits.  As an English teacher, I assert that kids need this novel in their arsenal.  Ponyboy is perhaps only rivaled by Holden Caulfield as the most identifiable coming-of-age teenage protagonist in modern American literature.  Short, emotional, and complex, Hinton's narrative is one of our greats.  I've been thinking in recent years that the importance of this book should be growing.  We live in a time when teens are faced with all sorts of situations that probably mirror Ponyboy and Darry, more so than they do my mundane Midwestern upbringing.  Kids bring a lot of baggage into the classroom, and this book becomes even more relevant.

All of this introduction to simmer into the importance of Roadside Graves' upcoming LP, We Can Take Care of Ourselves, a concept album devoted to Hinton's iconic tale of growth among the weeds, a tale read in nearly every American school system.  The album is refreshing, subtly nuancing events, characters, and thematic elements, more sonically than lyrically, and this intelligent and delicate rendering is, hands down, one of the best and most ambitious efforts of 2011.  The tracks take a meandering narrative approach, but do a nice job of sticking to the story in a working order.  "Outside" and "Double Feature" settle listeners into the setting and initial conflict of the novel (meeting Cherry and the initial issues with the socs), but also set the aural tone of the record – one that is polished with plenty of modern largeness and cinematic scope, but that still retains that homespun feel Roadside Graves has always been able to harness well.  Issues of status are hit lyrically (in the novel, the readers see Ponyboy get whooped early on because of who he is), expressing the important notion that, outside, teens are "caught up in mischief, just to make it to the end of the day."  A nostalgic tone is set with certain storyline tracks, like the aforementioned, along with "Glory" and "Hank Williams," two tracks that serve to highlight the difficulties in growing up, the uncertainties of relationships, and the connections to elders that have more understanding of the world.  Soft, old-timey pianos, underlying synthesizers, huge hooks, and excellent lyricism become the standard early on in the album and continue all the way through.

Two tracks that jump outward immediately are situated in the middle portion of the record, particularly "Waiting" and "Love Me More."  These tracks find Roadside Graves firing on all cylinders both stylistically and conceptually.  A large part of the novel's theme centers around Robert Frost's, "Nothing Gold Can Stay," which is appropriate for any coming-of-age youth that bends against the grains of time to avoid reaching adulthood.  The church scene where Ponyboy instills wisdom on Johnny is a moving moment of the narrative, and the track is incredible on the album.  It begins with an accordion that blends into clean acoustic finger picking, delicate and calm as the two are "waiting for awhile, 'til it's safe to go home."  As the two duck away after the murder, this place of refuge becomes a learning experience for both; likewise, on the album, this track is calming and familiar, simple vocal croons and gorgeous arrangement.  The second track, "Love Me More," led to a phone call to my father after one spin.  Lyrically, it's a series of narrative events where folks look backwards and wish loving feelings would be more fleshed out during the times they had. It's an upbeat and inspiring track musically, but ultimately the song speaks of regret and not bottling up all of the relationships that should have been fostered more.  This is an important highlight of We Can Take Care of Ourselves – this doesn't necessarily have to be listened to as a concept album.  The emotion and thematic tilt is important regardless of the literary allusion. 

John Gleason and his wife are both teachers, and this rips through each portion of the album; this is not an accident, but a calculated move that provides amazing value to the record.  At times, perhaps in its most cinematic moments, the album literally "understands" teenage emotion and how the novel registers with readers.  Gleason has mentioned that they purposely avoided retelling the plot lyrically, but what is fantastic is that they let the sound do the storytelling. Two instrumentals, "Hospital" and "Tuff Hair" sonically express the emotions of the novel's events.  Mimicking the watershed moment for Ponyboy, where he comes of age and realizes that people care about his well-being and success (Darry, particularly), "Hospital" increases the cinematic tension with a darker vibe billowing out immediately. No words required.  Dark and hard hitting piano chords intro the song, and listeners understand the track is headed into largeness emotionally. With synthesizers swirling, tension and grandiosity are peppered with a crying piano as the backbone. "Tuff Hair" is representative of the final brawl between the greasers and the socs, where the band opts to omit lyrical homage and stick to soaring, southern-fried keys, bluesy riffs, and jamming guitar fills.  Marking the transition between the novel's climax and its outro, it similarly matches the album, the last two songs, "We Occupy Each Other" and "All Over the World" tying together the novels central thematic elements of growth, uphill climbs, and the inevitability of change and interconnectedness (as an aside, this is really important.  Ponyboy, as a character, is really just a universal symbol for teenage growth.  We all do, in fact, occupy each other.  Every teenage boy that flips through the novel understands his plight, and empathizes with how good of a kid he really is.  All kids want to be good, even if they unfortunately do not have the faculties or the means to do so).  If there is any lingering discussion about the blurring of the line between music and art, one needs to look no further than this collection of tracks; the long-playing album, in the hands of Roadside Graves, becomes an art form that is alive and thriving.

You can pre-order We Can Take Care of Ourselves via Autumn Tone Records by clicking HERE.  Additionally, enjoy a taste of the album with the MP3 of "Love Me More."

Roadside Graves – Love Me More