Album Review: The Vegabonds 'What We're Made Of'

​Hailing from Alabama, The Vegabonds - Daniel Allen (lead vocals/guitar), Bryan Harris (drums), Richard Forehand (guitar/vocals/pedal steel/mandolin), Paul Bruens (bass) and Beau Cooper (piano/organ/vocals) - are preparing to release their fourth album, What We’re Made Of on February 19th. Produced by Tom Tapley (Elton John, Bruce Springsteen), this new project (their first since 2012) consists of twelve songs that relate true to life stories of heartbreak, love, and struggle delivered with a passionate, soulful rock n’ roll sound. 

With it’s irresistible melody and sing along chorus, opening track and first single, "Oh My Lord" tells of the inner battles front man Daniel Allen experienced following the loss of his grandfather. That’s followed by the soulful, keys laden “Where We Used To Go” which simply yet realistically relates growing up and growing old giving up your dreams (and sometimes being miserable), losing touch and yearning for “the flame to burn like it used to.” In the same vein are “The Hammer” with its pulsating drums and electric guitar solos, detailing the fact that what you dream and what you have to do to get by are often two different things, and the poignant “Hard Road Home” disclosing the soul searching in trying to balance that need between the road and relationships. “I’m living this dream and I’m trying to find the grace to sustain me/The temptation’s too much and I give into the rush one more time.”

The notion of a journey, whether professional or personal, the past, present or future is woven throughout many songs including the hard-driving “Cruise On,” the southern rocker (a la Whiskey Myers) “Blood To Roam” where he relays how the need to ramble is part of who he is, “Take me as I come and release me when were done” and the mid-tempo “Take A Ride” which tackles life struggles, needing to get to those people and places that make your heart happy.

The varied aspects of relationships are also found on What We’re Made Of including the groovy “Best Of Me” and the bluesy rocker (with some snazzy organ), “Miss You Blues” in which he’s trying to ease the pain, wanting to find strength somewhere, anywhere, after she walked out. “Hope She’s Still Mine” tells the story of a man breaking out of jail to see his girl while “Ghost Town” centers on a plea to be together. The album appropriately concludes with the rootsy title track which narrates his youth and how that shaped him.
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Relatable, heartfelt songs about life’s highs and lows accompanied by soaring harmonies, great melodies, and gritty guitar grooves….it’s the Vegabonds and it's what they’re made of.

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