“So what do I do with all of this pain?” Kenny Shore asks near the beginning of the album’s opening track, “Put Yourself In My Shoes.” That’s a question we all face at some point, and I’m not sure any of us has the answer. But if we recognize that none of us can escape the pain, perhaps it won’t be so difficult to see things from another person’s perspective. “‘Cause you don’t really recognize my pain is real/Put yourself in my shoes/Put yourself in my shoes.” He delivers the song with a voice that feels familiar; there are some similarities to someone like Paul Kelly, as far as approach and phrasing. “You’re living your life like it’s all a little comedy/But now you’ve made a tragedy out of mine/Can you feel what your little fun has done to me/Wish I could grieve and leave it all behind.” This track features some nice touches on baritone saxophone, as well as some good work on keys.
“Wander Around” grabbed me with its opening line, which is “Well, I turned on the television, then I turned it off.” This one has a sweet country sound, and features some good work on lap steel. I also like that work on organ. This song is about attempting to make use of yourself when your sweetheart is out of town. “What do you do when you’re feeling kind of down?” Wander around is the answer. Sometimes some good can come from doing that. I don’t know. My girlfriend is out of town right now, and I feel a bit lost. This song is helping, like a friend. It’s followed by “She’s Broken,” which has another great opening line, “She’s broken in all the right ways.” This song has a gentle, kind of sweet feel to it. But it still finds moments of humor, as in the line “Sometimes I’m in a bad state, and I’m not talking about Carolina.” This track contains some wonderful backing vocals, which have a warming, soothing effect. And I love that lap steel. This is one of my personal favorites.
There is more energy to “Don’t Ever Say My Name,” particularly in the vocals, and especially on the chorus. Probably each of us has someone we’d like to sing this song to. “It’s people like you who only think of themselves/It’s so sad but true and I don’t want any part of that hell.” Things then get fun with “Down In Louisiana.” Ah, what is it about that state that always seems to get things hopping and joyful? I love the clarinet on this track. Plus, there is some really nice stuff on piano, as well as a fun rhythm. This music feels like a celebration. That’s followed by “Name 3 People.” This is a song about facing impending death; yet it has a rather cheerful sound, mainly because of the mandolin. “I named the people I needed to speak to/Before I have to leave this world.” The song then changes perspective to involve everyone listening: “So name the people you need to speak to/Before you leave this, this world behind/Track ‘em down and tell ‘em you love them/Long before you’re out of time.” This, for me, is another of the disc’s highlights.
“Everything We Needed” is a song about home and family and memories, looking back with fondness, the mandolin again working to give the song a lighter vibe. “This was a great old house/And I love it still/Could have lived here forever, that’s just how I feel/And it was all so good just the way it was/But we ripped out our hearts and we moved away/And I’ll never understand why we didn’t stay.” I’ve been thinking about home a lot lately, and the house where I grew up. Someday that house will belong to someone else (possibly someday soon), a strange and unsettling thought. How will I feel about it then? “Everything We Needed” is followed by “Your Smiling Face,” a sweet, cheerful love song that features some nice stuff on keys. “I want to hear your sweet voice calling out my name/I want to hear your sweet voice calling out my name/I want to hear your sweet voice calling out my name/And feel your love coming down like the pouring rain.” This is a song to raise our spirits.
The saxophone begins “Able To Try,” another song with a strong opening line: “It’s not about you, it never is.” There is something of a Van Morrison vibe to this one. Joining him on vocals is Wendy Shadburn (known by the name Taz Halloween), and the two sound great together, delivering soulful performances. That’s followed by “Almost Like Heaven.” This song mentions John Prine, and the song itself has a John Prine sound. It is still hard to believe Prine is gone. In this song, Prine gives him some advice, some help. “Was I losing my mind, or was this all real/I was talking to a dead man and he was helping me write a song.” And the line “It’s like I’ve won a big prize” of course calls to mind Prine’s “In Spite Of Ourselves,” with its line “Honey, we’re the big door prize.” Then the album’s title track, “Time Stands Still,” has kind of a light, fun vibe. It’s a song about time and memories, going through old possessions, and in it he mentions one of my favorite authors, Kurt Vonnegut, who certainly addressed the concept of time in his work. The album concludes with “The 24th Of June,” which is a short instrumental track, a solo piece with Kenny Shore on banjo.
CD Track List
- Put Yourself In My Shoes
- Wander Around
- She’s Broken
- Don’t Ever Say My Name
- Down In Louisiana
- Name 3 People
- Everything We Needed
- Your Smiling Face
- Able To Try
- Almost Like Heaven
- Time Stands Still
- The 24th Of June
Time Stands Still was released on November 4, 2022.
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