Music Review: “Undefeated” by Bobby Bare Jr.’s Young Criminals’ Starvation League

The alt-country singer releases an ambitious hybrid of down-home and epic pop sounds.


Bobby Bare Jr.’s Young Criminals’ Starvation League
Undefeated
Bloodshot

Bobby Bare Jr., the offspring and namesake of one of the greatest country crooners of all time, has forged an intriguing and consistently unpredictable career of his own since the late ’90s, exploring rootsy rock, alt-country, and singer-songwriter styles with witty verve. Undefeated finds the likable troubadour crafting a tantalizing hybrid of down-home and epic pop sounds, and reflecting on romance, betrayal and heartbreak in ambitious yet rough-hewn tracks like “If She Cared,” “My Baby Took My Baby Away”, and “As Forever Became Never Again.” As always, the key is Bare’s ruefully eloquent voice, which finds a humorous undercurrent in the most woeful situations.

The truth needs defenders. Be one.

For 50 years, Mother Jones has been publishing investigative journalism that doesn’t hold back. We’re independent from corporations and uninfluenced by those in power. Our commitment is solely to the truth.

That’s only possible because of you.

Our nonprofit newsroom is funded by donors from every state in the union—blue, red, and purple, all part of a community of readers who care about the future of our democracy.

This week is our spring membership drive, and we need 1,000 new donations to fund the urgent investigations already in our pipeline. Be the reason these stories get told. Make a donation to fund independent journalism, and help us reach our goal this week.

The truth needs defenders. Be one.

For 50 years, Mother Jones has been publishing investigative journalism that doesn’t hold back. We’re independent from corporations and uninfluenced by those in power. Our commitment is solely to the truth.

That’s only possible because of you.

Our nonprofit newsroom is funded by donors from every state in the union—blue, red, and purple, all part of a community of readers who care about the future of our democracy.

This week is our spring membership drive, and we need 1,000 new donations to fund the urgent investigations already in our pipeline. Be the reason these stories get told. Make a donation to fund independent journalism, and help us reach our goal this week.

We Recommend

Latest

Sign up for our free newsletter

Subscribe to the Mother Jones Daily to have our top stories delivered directly to your inbox.

Get our award-winning magazine

Save big on a full year of investigations, ideas, and insights.

Subscribe

Support our journalism

Help Mother Jones' reporters dig deep with a tax-deductible donation.

Donate