Album Review: Southern Companion '1000 Days of Rain'

Southern Companion – Darren Hodson (Vocals, Guitar), Simon Johnson (Guitars, Mandolin), Stuart Ross (Bass), Lee Maycock (Keys), and Oliver Richmond Jones (Drums) - independently released their debut album Short Stories and Tall Tales in 2011. In February of this year they put forth their latest record 1000 Days of Rain; a record which finds the UK meeting the US in as Hodson aptly describes it, ‘a Mid-Atlantic sonic whirlpool……a big old blending up of all the great music I love, Americana Folk & Roots meets classic British Pop Rock.’

Produced by multi Grammy nominee Ron Thaler, all of the songs on the project, with the exception of "Heaven Knows," were all penned by Hodson. Opening with their latest single, the folksy “Crash” the ten tracks are personal, insightful and relatable. There is the sweet mid-tempo “Feels Like Years” which deals with the importance of making relationship time with his wife when day to day just gets in the way, the soothing “Lullaby for G” a song written for his daughter who woke from bad dreams, the soulful “Waiting On A Corner” and the reflective, regret filled “Heaven Knows.”

1000 Days of Rain merges alt-rockers “Dead Man Walking,” shuffling old school “The Leaving Kind,” and bluesy 70’s grooves “Wrong Side of The 70’s.” “This Love of Mine” and “Letting You Go” round out the album that may be a sonic whirlpool, but it's one you might not mind getting swept up in.

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