-Harriett

Kansas native, and current Nashville resident, Erik Dylan made quite the positive impression on critics and music fans alike with his May 2016 release, Heart of a Flatland Boy. Two years later, the singer-songwriter has released his sophomore album, Baseball on the Moon. Produced by Dylan himself, the 13 track country/roots rock collection features electric guitars, drums and flourishes of steel guitar as the vehicle for the delivery of well written, relatable songs.
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The title track, featuring Luke Combs, is a lovely, uplifting lesson on never letting go of your dreams and never letting detractors keep you from aiming high because “your want-to, got-to’s gotta be bigger than your givin’ up.” The theme of hopes and dreams recurs on “Someday” where Dylan, along with Steve Earle, sings of working at the gas station by the interstate, counting the out-of-state license plates and planning his way out.

Stories of small town America are approached with more originality than many have come to expect from modern country music on “Funerals & Football Games” about putting on your game face while coping with hardship and the defiant “Ain’t My Town” which bucks against the stereotypical depictions of rural towns and their people. Erik Dylan is a gifted wordsmith and obviously in touch with grit and perseverance but where Baseball on the Moon shines most brightly is when the writing focuses on the vulnerability of people dealing with what life has offered up. 

“13th Floor” is a gripping, compelling depiction of the place we hide bad luck, our pain, and regrets, or as Dylan says, “the ghosts draggin’ those chains around.” The inevitability of losing your independence to old age is beautifully explored on “When They Take Your Truck” while the persistent chains of racism that continue to enslave us as a nation are boldly confronted on “Color Blind”.   

The final track is as powerful as it is timely. “Honest Work” features the story of a young woman who left her family and came to the United States in search of the same thing that brought our ancestors here - the promise of a better life.  Asking little but the opportunity to do an honest day’s work, she finds herself discouraged by a lack of acceptance even though “She cleans your house and tends your kids and helps you live the life you’re living at half the price/Well ain’t that nice?"

With Baseball on the Moon, Erik Dylan proves he had no intention of falling prey to a sophomore slump. If you haven’t had the opportunity to listen to his music, now would be a good time to catch up. You can get physical copies of his albums at www.erikdylan.com or purchase downloads through itunes or Amazon.             

-Harriett

Colorado native Gerry Spehar’s musical career has spanned decades beginning in the 1970’s. Through various incarnations, and a slight detour to the corporate world while raising a family, the singer-songwriter returned full force in 2017 with the release of his critically acclaimed album I Hold Gravity. Obviously having no intent of slowing down, Spehar’s next album, Anger Management, drops on May 18th.  Equal parts cathartic release and contemporaneous account of what will become our history, the project is unapologetically political and sonically diverse; drawing on blues, folk, rock, bluegrass and country influences.

“Thank You Donald” is witty, up-tempo, bluegrass-influenced song about a desolate liberal who finds renewed purpose in life: exposing and fighting against the current administration. Through the folk-rock of “Son Of An Immigrant” Spehar tackles racism and intolerance. Blues-heavy guitar work and driving percussion provide the perfect soundtrack for the message in “Anger Management” which stresses the importance of being true to yourself and using your voice to bring about change. The deeply moving “A Soldier’s Spiritual” focuses on the difficulties veterans face daily upon returning to civilian life.

The universally recognizable sound associated with a circus calliope introduces “Carnival”, which provides an interesting take on the political legacy of LBJ and a rendition of Hail To The Chief, begins the lampooning of Trump and those infamous Access Hollywood tapes on “Freedom to Grab”. Spehar’s thirteen track collection closes with the reflective “What Would Jesus Do”,  pondering the contrast between the words and the deeds of some who profess to be Christians.

With Anger Management, Gerry Spehar combines his vast and varied music experience with his equally diverse life experience to deliver an interesting album that entertains and challenges the listener. To learn more about his backstory and his music, visit www.gerryspehar.com            

Founded in 2009, The Mallett Brothers Band have had multiple lineup changes and stylistic shifts over the years, but they’ve remained steadfast in delivering heartfelt songs with emotional lyricism, vivid imagery, and dynamic musical tones, all of which are evident on their upcoming release, Vive L’Acadie! Due June 15th, Vive L’Acadie!, the follow-up to 2017’s concept album, The Falling of the Pine, is a ten-song set inspired by their Maine homeland and grounded in roots rock with touches of blues, southern rock, and folk. Traversing vast emotional territory, the tunes on Vive L’Acadie! include the deeply moving (“Timberline (High Times)"), the celebratory (“Vive L’Acadie”), and the spirited (“Losin’ Horses”).

Penned by Will Mallett, the infectious “Losin’ Horses” is a twangy shuffler set apart by pedal steel, mandolin and a touch of reverb whose warm melody juxtaposes the story of a down on his luck gambler dealing with his wagers and losses.
 
"You keep betting on those losing horses
Getting drawn by all those mystic needs
Getting torn by the confusing forces
Yeah, you keep betting on the losing steed."
 
Will Mallett relays the story behind the tune, “This is just one of those classic story songs, a portrait of a gambler down on his luck. The chorus came first in the writing process, and I sat on it for months thinking the verses needed to build out a metaphor, but in the end, I realized it should just stick with the horse racing theme and kept it sort of thematically streamlined. It’s a typical “sad song that sounds happy.” 
 
There’s a big-time Big Duane Eddy influence in the sound, and lyrically it comes from a lot of places, but I think I had some combination of Woody Guthrie and Van Morrison in mind when it was coming together. For the hard-living hero, I had an image of someone from a Woody Guthrie song or a Steinbeck novel, but the vague mysticism in the chorus was definitely influenced by Van Morrison... I distinctly recall questioning some of the word choices and then thinking “what would Van Morrison do?” and leaving it as it was.
 
Nothing crazy with the writing or recording processes on this one, but I will say, this one is a lot of fun to play live and was especially so during our recent tour with Jon Fishman on the second drum kit. A couple shows into the tour Jon started doing this very cool gallop pattern during the instrumental section that Chuck then started playing around with, and it got me to kick my acoustic into high gear a little bit, and we ended up stretching it out and having some good fun... off to the races, ya know?” 
 
The Mallett Brothers Band are Luke Mallett (vocals/guitar), Will Mallett (vocals/guitar), Nick Leen (bass), Wally Wenzel (dobro/electric guitar/vocals), Chuck Gange (drums), and Andrew Martell (fiddle/guitar/mandolin).
 
Vive L’Acadie! is due June 15th.

-Kelli

Josh Ward hits it out of the park with his fourth highly anticipated release, More Than I Deserve, where rich, traditional ballads mix with honky-tonkers and heartbreakers, blending together seamlessly for a solid effort from the Houston native.  

The lead single "All About Lovin'" kicks off the album and sets the tone for the remainder of the collection.  "Ain't It Baby," a mid-tempo standout, with the best feel good vibes of the year, channels the feeling of warm nights with the windows down, "That's a once in a lifetime sky...shining down on us tonight..." Meanwhile, "Say Hello To Goodbye" is a lush, piano driven tune featuring soaring vocals from Ward, "...Yeah I'd like to introduce you to lonesome days and lonely nights...I guess you'll have to get used to all those tears in your eyes...say hello to goodbye..."

Picking it up a few notches, honky-tonk takes over on "Home Away From Home," "Another Heartache," and "Loving Right" with all feeling like they could've been recorded in the heyday of 80's and 90's country, missed on today's radio.  While there are the rollicking tunes, the ballads are where Ward really shines.  On "The Devil Don't Scare Me Anymore," Ward's voice flies high above the searing lyrics "...Ten years later wondering how I got here, where neon burns and they sell cold beer...Heaven seems so far away..."  It's the most moving song in the set and Ward's emotional delivery brings the subject home.

Other standouts are "A Cowboy Can," "God Made A Woman," destined to be a Texas dance floor classic, and the title track, a touching waltz surrounded by gorgeous pedal steel and heartbreaking lyrics "...I know I could change her mind....make her stay....but then again, I know it's too late..."  A heavy way to close out but listeners can feel hope in the song's message, since we all truly have a lot to be thankful for.

There is a song for everyone on this release; whether it's a honky tonk weeper or a tender love ballad, Ward has listeners covered.  Instant radio classics like "Ain't It Baby" and deeper cuts like the title track make this perhaps his best album yet. 

More Than I Deserve drops May 4.