Jim Patton & Sherry Brokus: “Going The Distance” (2022) CD Review

Jim Patton and Sherry Brokus are a folk rock duo based in Austin, Texas. In 2022, they released Going The Distance, an album of original material written during the pandemic, though not directly addressing it. On this release, they are joined by some talented and accomplished musicians, including Bill Kirchen (known for his work in Commander Cody And His Lost Airmen and with Nick Lowe) and BettySoo (known for her work in Charlie Faye And The Fayettes and with James McMurtry). Jim Patton is on lead vocals and plays acoustic guitar, and Sherry Brokus provides harmonies. Ron Flynt, who produced the album, plays bass, piano, harmonium, acoustic guitar, baritone guitar, 12-string guitar, harpsichord, and accordion, and provides backing vocals. Rich Brotherton plays acoustic guitar, cittern, and mandolin. Warren Hood plays fiddle on these tracks. Flynt, Brotherton and Hood also all played on Claudia Gibson’s new album, The Fields Of Chazy. This disc also features John Bush on percussion.

The album opens with its title track, “Going The Distance,” which begins with these lines: “Well, we rolled the Toyota/Out on I-35/When the dust finally settled/Never felt so alive/We drove on in a rental.” Yes, it’s a positive number about persevering, about not letting things hold you back, as they tell us they had “Songs yet to play.” Some of the guitar work makes me think of Tom Petty’s “Free Falling.” This one was written by Jim Patton and Jeff Talmadge. “We’re going the distance/Right up to the end/Yeah, we’re going the distance/I’m right beside you, my friend.” That’s followed by “That’s What I Do.” This one had me smiling pretty quickly with its cheerful vibe. Its first lines speak to me, “Can’t hammer a nail/I can’t fix the fence/Can’t hang a picture.” Okay, maybe I can do two of those things (not well, of course), but these lines continue to feel applicable: “Can’t promise the moon/Can’t pay the rent/Well, I followed my dream/At your expense.” The song is about being able to write a song, about being able to make your loved one laugh (and cry). It’s sweet and delightful. “I can make you laugh/I can make you cry/That’s what I do.” And when he tells us how the song goes, it makes me laugh: “It goes fa la la-la la.” May each of us have someone so supportive in our lives.

“Too many worries, too little cash/And these ends won’t ever meet,” Jim Patton sings in “Struggling,” a song about feeling like you should be better off than you are, farther along than you are. I think most of us can relate to this one. This track has a lot of lines that stand out, such as these: “Groceries have gone sky-high/The car needs to be fixed/These dues that I’ve been paying/Have yet to pay me back.” Those lines about dues in particular strike a chord with me. Last year there was a SAG-AFTRA strike which kept me out of work for eight months. And then SAG-AFTRA sent me a bill for dues for that time. Are they kidding? Though this song is about struggling, there is a bouncy and cheerful sound to it, which I appreciate. The music seems to tell us we’ll make it at some point. We have to keep believing, right? “A lot of people got it worse/I got a home, I got a bed/No sense being bitter/Or cursing how things are/After all, I still have the girl/And I still have this guitar.” Oh yes. I can’t imagine how things would be without my girlfriend and without music. Eric Hisaw plays lead guitar on this track, delivering some nice work. This song was written by Jim Patton and Steve Brooks. There is a light feel to “Words I Can’t Unsay” too, while the lyrics have a serious quality. “Blame it on my mother, blame it on my dad/You ought to see my brother if you think I’m bad/I come from a house of anger and I grew up mad/Saying words I can’t unsay.” There is an introspective bent to the lyrics, though the music seems to reach out, perhaps acting as an apology itself. This track features the great Bill Kirchen on guitar. It was written by Jim Patton and Jeff Talmadge.

“Janey It’s Alright” also reaches out, this time to a specific person. “Babe, I would meet you anywhere/Janey, it’s all right/You name the place and I’ll be there/Janey, it’s all right, it’s all right, it’s all right/Janey, it’s all right.” And a line like “All the people that we used to know, I wonder where they’ve gone” still works for me on an emotional level, though rationally I respond that you can probably find them all on social media sites. Another line that stands out for me is this: “Sometimes I’m so deep inside, I don’t know how to get out anymore.” This track also features some really nice backing vocal work. That’s followed by “Golden Boy,” which has a pretty feel as it begins, with that sweet work on fiddle. It’s a song addressed to a fallen hero: “You went from hometown hero to a man who lost his soul.” The line “You went from full of promise to another guy getting old” is painful, particularly to those of us who feel we have not lived up to our potential.

“Brand New Love” has a fun vibe. Partly it’s that rhythm, which has a bit of a Bo Diddley thing happening. Partly it’s Bill Kirchen’s guitar work. And also it’s a love song, about the effects of love. “This dirty old town’s a beautiful place/Your boss is a jerk, but you laugh in his face/You got a goofy grin, a secret smile/You haven’t been this happy in a long, long while/Uh-oh, I think it’s true/Brand new love’s got a hold on you.” Ah, yes. Though I’ve discovered love doesn’t have to be new to have that effect. This song has a short section of vocals and drums. I was trained in the 1980s to always love those sections, and that training holds strong apparently. This song was written by Jim Patton and Jeff Talmadge. It is followed by “Facing The Lions,” which features some wonderful work on fiddle. “Now you’re standing alone/A long way from home/And you’re facing the lions.” Then “Gino” begins with some nice work on acoustic guitar. This is a song about a man whose best days are far behind him. “He says he hates his life from the time he wakes up/Until he drinks himself to sleep at night/Never thought he’s ever gonna get this old until it happened overnight.” Interestingly, the character of this song rolls his car, making it the second song on the album to have that happen. In this one too, he is able to walk away from the accident. This is one of my personal favorite tracks, in large part because of Jim Patton’s moving vocal performance.

“Austin Night” comes on strong, with a good rockin’ vibe. It’s a song about getting turned on to rock and roll, and deciding to make a life out of it. The first line reveals it’s Rubber Soul that did it. This track contains some good backing vocal work, and excellent guitar work by Bill Kirchen. “Well, I’ll admit some dreams did not come true/That’s the case for all but a fortunate few/I’m not rich or famous, but I’m doing all right/I’m still making music on an Austin night.” Then “I’m Still A Dreaming Man” has a softer, gentler sound. Interestingly, this one begins with the line, “My dreams did not true,” so feels in some way like it is continuing the thought from the previous song. He then continues: “That I can say the same for you/That’s a secret they don’t tell you as a kid/Your biggest dreams will die/Or if they don’t, you’ll wish they did.” Wow. Those are some striking and powerful lyrics. This is another of my favorite tracks, in part because of lines like those, and also because of the pretty work on fiddle. And it’s a positive song, after all, as he tells us, “I’m still a dreaming man.” The album ends by returning us to the beginning, with a short bit of “Going The Distance,” this time some beautiful vocals repeating the title line.

CD Track List

1. Going The Distance
2. That’s What I Do
3. Struggling
4. Words I Can’t Unsay
5. Janey It’s Alright
6. Golden Boy
7. Brand New Love
8. Facing The Lions
9. Gino
10. Austin Night
11. I’m Still A Dreaming Man
12. Going The Distance (Slight Return)

Going The Distance was released on June 3, 2022 on Berkalin Records.

Janiece Jaffe & Monika Herzig: “Both Sides Of Joni” (2023) CD Review

In 2020, when everything was shut down because of the pandemic and concerts were canceled, jazz vocalist Janiece Jaffe began giving a closer listen to the work of Joni Mitchell. She reached out to her friend and musical collaborator Monika Herzig, who created jazz arrangements of Joni Mitchell’s songs. The album Both Sides Of Joni is the result, recorded in December 2021. Janiece Jaffe died in late November 2022 after heart surgery, before the album’s release. But she left us some excellent performances on these tracks. Joining Janiece Jaffe and Monika Herzig on this album are Jeremy Allen on bass, Greg Ward on saxophone and Cassius Goens on drums, along with a couple of guests on certain tracks.

They open with the album with “Help Me,” a song from Joni Mitchell’s 1974 record Court And Spark, a good choice, particularly as that album contains jazz elements. This rendition begins with some gorgeous solo work from Greg Ward on saxophone. Approximately a minute into the track, the rest of the musicians come in, and, interestingly, the drum work has something of the feel of a march, giving a sense of urgency to the song. Janiece Jaffe adds her own spin to the vocal work, for example giving the word “crazy” special emphasis in the early line “When I get that crazy feeling I know I’m in trouble again.” We get the sense she really believes the feeling is a bit crazy, which is wonderful. And a line like “It’s got me hoping for the future” had special significance in the crazy time of the pandemic, when things were uncertain, even more uncertain than normal. The jam in the middle features some really nice work on drums and some vocal riffing, along with incredibly expressive and exciting work on saxophone. The piano work has warmth, and it is in that instrument that we hear especially that hope for the future. At the end, when Janiece calls out, “Help me, help me, help me,” it seems that she is truly asking.

“Both Sides Now” is one of Joni Mitchell’s best songs. I still find it hard to keep from crying when I hear it, sometimes in joy, sometimes in sorrow. We hear the life of the song in Janiece Jaffe’s delivery. For example, when she sings, “So many things I would have done,” it seems she is recalling specific things. There is something light in this rendition, in the drum work, and in the way the piano and saxophone seem to lift up into the air, particularly in the instrumental sections between verses, not tied down by the weight of things. This song comes from Clouds, the first Joni Mitchell album I ever bought, and still my favorite. Also from Clouds comes “I Think I Understand.” This version begins with a solid bass line, and for a moment it is just that instrument supporting Janiece’s voice. The drum work, again with the feel of a march at the start, also sets this version apart from what we know of this song. This rendition goes into some interesting, compelling musical territory between verses. I am particularly taken with the work on saxophone, but everyone is really delivering here. There is some fantastic stuff on drums. Some of the tension is then released before the next verse, “Now the way leads to the hills/Above the steeple’s chime.” The way Janiece delivers the phrase “sinking sand” the second time is captivating. And on this track, Carolyn Dutton joins the group on violin, providing some absolutely wonderful work in the second half.

“River” is another of Joni Mitchell’s most beloved songs, and it is one of the best songs to get airplay every Christmas season. It comes from Blue, released in 1971. Carolyn Dutton is again on violin, and the violin and piano support the vocals for the first fifty seconds of the song before the bass and drums come in. The piano work is especially good. Then listen to the way Janiece sings, “I made my baby cry.” So moving. The violin takes over after that line, which is perfect. And there is a cry in Janiece’s voice when she delivers the next line, “He tried so hard to help me.” As the song is reaching its climax, the piano and violin once again take over. Beautiful.

From Joni Mitchell’s 1975 record The Hissing Of Summer Lawns, Janiece Jaffe and Monika Herzig choose to cover three songs. This makes sense as this album contains jazz elements. The first of those is “Don’t Interrupt The Sorrow.” Janiece Jaffe’s vocal approach is fascinating. There is a bit of a spoken word vibe to some of it, and there is an intensity, an anger to her delivery, heard in lines like “Truth goes up in vapors/The steeples lean/Winds of change/Patriarchs snug in your bible belt dreams.” This is fantastic. And I love that saxophone work, while the bass maintains the strong pulse of the song. This song is particularly striking, especially in light of how women’s rights are currently being destroyed by the Republican Party. That’s followed by “My Old Man,” a song from Blue. There is a wonderful fondness in Janiece’s voice as she sings those opening lines, “My old man, he’s a singer in the park/He’s a walker in the rain, and a dancer in the dark.” And she sounds happy, even relieved, to relate that “My old man, keeping away my blues.” There is that turn then, when she sings of the blues arriving when he’s gone, and I love the change in her voice.  But largely this track has a delightful vibe, and it features a great lead on bass, plus a saxophone lead that seems to sing. I appreciate the joy of this number, and Janiece even delivers some scat toward the end.

Then we get back to material from The Hissing Of Summer Lawns, with that album’s title track. These lines stand out to me: “He put up a barbed wire fence/To keep out the unknown/And on every metal thorn/Just a little blood of his own.” And I love Janiece’s wild calling of “Darkness!” as the track momentarily descends into chaos. That is an exciting moment. A gentle vibe emerges from that, and the track features some beautiful work on piano. It then builds from there, eventually getting wild again. This is a really interesting rendition, with some great work on drums. That’s followed by “Sweet Bird,” the third and final song chosen from The Hissing Of Summer Lawns. This one is about aging, the fading of beauty and power, about the brevity of youth, and the track contains some excellent work on piano, along with wonderful stuff on saxophone.

The album concludes with another of my favorite Joni Mitchell songs, “The Circle Game,” another song of hers that sometimes brings tears to my eyes. I think the first version I heard was that by Buffy Sainte-Marie, for it was featured during the opening credits of the film of The Strawberry Statement (it’s a really good movie, but an even better book). Janiece Jaffe’s vocal approach captures the excitement of youth in those first lines. She changes some words later on, going from “must appease him” and “his dreams” to “must appease them” and “their dreams,” which is jarring because she was talking about a single person (from what I understand, that person is Neil Young). The piano work after those lines has a magical carousel feel, a nice touch. Janiece does it again in the final verse, singing, “and now you know they’re twenty” instead of “and now the boy is twenty.” Those changes don’t work, but it’s still a good version, and the track features a nice lead on bass. That is Peter Kienle on bass.

CD Track List

1. Help Me
2. Both Sides Now
3. I Think I Understand
4. River
5. Don’t Interrupt The Sorrow
6. My Old Man
7. The Hissing Of Summer Lawns
8. Sweet Bird
9. The Circle Game

Both Sides Of Joni was released on March 31, 2023.

Markey Blue Ric Latina Project: “Jumpin’ The Broom” (2022) CD Review

Guitarist Ric Latina and vocalist Markey Blue have been delivering delicious blues music for more than a decade. The band’s fourth full-length album (and first as a married couple), Jumpin’ The Broom, features all original material written by Ric Latina and Jeannette Markey. Joining them on this release are Randy Coleman on bass, Shannon Wickline on keyboards, Dave Northrup on drums and percussion, and Chris West on horns and flute, along with a couple of guests.

The album opens with “Bad For Real,” which has a classic blues rhythm that is immediately appealing. “You lost your money to Lady Luck/Now your woman has left you alone/You’re crying in the night since she’s been gone/Roll that dice, spin that wheel/Boy, you got it bad, bad for real.” Of course, it should be either “Roll those dice” or “Roll that die,” but this is a cool number featuring a vocal performance full of attitude and spunk, along with some strong work on electric guitar. That’s followed by “Hanging On.” At the beginning of this one, Markey Blue sings, “I don’t need you/To tell me what I’m doing wrong.” Oh, who among us can’t relate to those lines? This track has a cool vibe, with a slower, more introspective bent. “Maybe I’m wrong/Maybe you’re right,” she admits, but we get the sense that she’s right, partly because everything about this song sounds right. Her vocal performance is so damn good, and there are catchy touches from the horns, plus a soulful and excellent guitar lead.

There is something about a blues song that plays with the idea of blue as a color that seems to work every time. In “When It’s Blue,” Markey Blue sings, “The grass ain’t always greener/When it’s blue,” taking an old saying and applying the blues to it. In this case, a part of me can’t help but think of bluegrass. This track features some good work on both keyboards and horns. Then “Little Betty” establishes a great rhythm right at the start, basically announcing this is going to be a fun one. And it certainly is, with a drum beat to get you dancing and moving. It also features a powerful and sexy vocal performance. “Oh, she gonna sell you anything you want/Whoa, she gonna tell you what the good girls won’t/Pretty red dress and her stockings on/Paint the night ‘til her love’s all gone.” This is one of my personal favorite tracks. It’s followed by “Be With Me,” which features some good stuff on horns. “Gonna take a whole lot of love if you want to be with me,” Markey Blue tells us here. It’s not long before she’s belting out some of the lines, and that’s when everything seems to be just exactly right. “I said slow, slow down now/Better slow down, baby, if you want to play with me.” Oh yes, that groove tells us we are in no rush. Join with that special someone on the dance floor and everything will proceed just as it should, no worries.

I love how “Lowdown Voodoo Woman” begins with that cool bass line, easing in, and then building from there. Even when Markey Blue first comes in on vocals, for a moment she delivers just a bit of humming, taking her time, setting the tone. Again, no rush. Her vocal work here is smooth and seductive. “You’re caught up in her spell now, baby,” she sings at one point. Oh yes, we are caught up in this song’s spell, which the guitar work also helps cast. This is another of the disc’s highlights. Then in “You Got The Blues,” Markey Blue sings, “Why don’t you ease, ease your worried mind/It ain’t so bad, ain’t so bad most of the time/You know it’s true, everybody’s singing the blues, oh yeah.” It is true. Everybody I know has had the blues since 2016. When are we going to emerge from this darkness? Things are warped out there, but there is still some great music being made, and we can’t get too absorbed by the insanity. Let that guitar guide us out of the darkness.

Guest Dana Robbins joins the group on saxophone on “Right Kind Of Woman,” another of this disc’s outstanding numbers. “I’m the right kind of woman/You’re just the wrong kind of man,” Markey Blue sings as the song starts. And we can’t help but believe her. “Don’t try to change my mind/Don’t try to lead me astray.” This is a seriously cool song, even before that wonderful lead on sax. And this track features a fantastic lead on guitar. The jam helps make this track another of the highlights. Then guest Mark T. Jordan joins the band on keyboards on “Crying Out Loud,” delivering some really good work. “Everything in this life is temporary, always bending/Even the air we breathe can be so cold and grey/It’s all right, it’s all right, it’s all right by me.” This line also stands out: “Just another story, no happy ending.” The album concludes with “Where  Are You,” which has a classic vibe and features some soulful vocals and keyboard work. There is just an overall appealing feel to this one. “Where are you tonight/Are you with someone, are you holding her tight/I tried to call you on the phone/Whoa, baby, you don’t answer, now I know that you’re gone/You don’t have to tell me that I ain’t the one.” There is an ache in her voice that is so effective. And that guitar work in the second half seems to both ache with her and attempt to soothe her. This is an excellent song.

CD Track List

1. Bad For Real
2. Hanging On
3. When It’s Blue
4. Little Betty
5. Be With Me
6. Lowdown Voodoo Woman
7. You Got The Blues
8. Right Kind Of Woman
9. Crying Out Loud
10. Where Are You

Jumpin’ The Broom was released on April 22, 2022.

Teresa Storch Band: “Open Your Heart” (2024) CD Review

Teresa Storch is a singer and songwriter who was based in Boston for a while, and released a couple of solo albums, including Stream Of Concrete. She teamed up with Peter Lacis, who comes from the jam band scenes of New Jersey and Colorado, and the two have toured as a duo. Now based in Longmont, Colorado, they have a full band, and have released their first band album. Titled Open Your Heart, it features mostly original material, written either by Teresa Storch or Storch and Peter Lacis together. Teresa Storch plays acoustic and electric guitars, and Peter Lacis is on lead electric guitar and backing vocals. Chad E. Mathis is on bass, and Travis Moberg is on drums. Both Mathis and Moberg also provide backing vocals. Tony Dickinson joins them on guitar, keyboards and backing vocals. There are also some other musicians joining the band on various tracks.

The album opens with a song titled “Things Will Get Better.” There are all sorts of things that might go through your head when you hear a title like that, so many things that need to get better. The first verse is about improving as a musician, but the chorus applies to whatever it is that you are working on or thinking of: “‘Cause things will get better/All that it takes is believing/It’s the first step to seeing it all the way/Things will get better/The more that you bet that things will get better/The better it gets.” The verse that stands out to me is the one that refers to the pandemic: “Now we’re coming out of the darkest years yet/Full of sickness and sadness and violence/Looking back through time we see how far we’ve progressed/Humankind can overcome the worst of itself.” I appreciate the optimistic bent of those lines, particularly as I don’t always share that outlook, but wish I did. We are still in the grip of some heavy weirdness in this country. But in general I do believe things will get better. They have to, don’t they? Robbie Benson plays piano on this track, Jordan Skomal is on trumpet, and Chris Ruiz is on saxophone, and these musicians add to the song’s positive sound. There are even hand claps toward the end. I do hope we soon emerge from the darkness this country has been enveloped in since 2016. And I do believe music can play an important role in letting in the light.

Then things get a bit funky with “Open Your Heart,” the album’s title track, which contains a strong bass line. Here there is still optimism, still a positive outlook, but the song is also more fixed in the current reality. The song opens with these lines, “Everything’s a mess/But who knows what could happen next/I will be here, I will be free, you cannot touch me/There’s people are out there stoking the flames/I won’t play a part, I won’t play their game.” It is true that there are people who make their livings keeping others angry, even inventing ridiculous things for them to fear and then promising to take care of those things. The trick is to remain unaffected by that. Don’t let their manufactured anger touch you. And this song offers this advice and reminder: “The way to truth would never prey upon your fear/Open your heart so you can hear.” There is a good jam toward the end, featuring strong work on guitar. Kevin Lufkin plays organ and piano on this track. “Open Your Heart” was written by Teresa Storch and Peter Lacis.

“Feels So Good” has a solid rock sound right out of the gate, that rhythm and guitar work reminding me of some of the music I grew up on. This one is about looking back at a relationship that she now knows should have ended sooner than it did. “Now that you’re gone, I know it went on way too long/Oh and I admit you’re the best I had, but still I’m glad/It feels so good to feel so bad.” Her voice shows a delicious attitude. This is a totally enjoyable song. There is something empowering about it, and it contains another great guitar lead. That’s followed by “Best Of Both Words,” an unusual and true love song about finding that person that helps you pursue your dreams as well as giving you a place to settle down. It has a sweeter vibe. “All that came before I was/Here with you, living the best of both worlds/Of where I can go and travel alone, or stay with our family here at home.” Both “Feels So Good” and “Best Of Both Worlds” were written by Teresa Storch and Peter Lacis.

“This Is The Time” deals with our strange political reality, and has a good rock edge that works well with its subject. “A worried young mother soothing her child, elected officials are spewing out lies/The media outlets are toeing their lines, assuring us all, yet this is the time/This is the time for turning around now/This is the time for holding our ground/This is the time, but don’t be afraid, don’t be afraid/This is the time when history’s made.” Another line that stands out to me is this: “There comes a time to wake from illusion.” That time is nigh. But I am not always optimistic that folks will be able to do it. Will it happen before November? That they might not is a frightening proposition. I love Teresa Storch’s vocal performance here. There is some anger, understandably, but more than that it contains encouragement and hope. “This Is The Time” was written by Teresa Storch and Peter Lacis. There is the ticking of a stopwatch at the end of the song.

“Would I Burn” leads us to question which causes are important to us, important enough to take action. And, more importantly, it leads us to question just what we would do to right some injustice. It does this by having Teresa ask herself those very questions: “Could I have Mandela’s heart, forgive my captors for their part/Call them my equals while from their prison I am released?/What would I burn for? Would I die for my beliefs?/Could I be a burning light to point us towards our own release?/Would I give my life, just to do what’s right?/Would I give my life?” Difficult questions, and it’s understandable that many people wish to go through their lives without asking them. The next song, “Ballad Of St. Francis,” then questions what might be the results of our actions. “Would hatred disappear/If I planted the seed/And gave my love to those who made me bleed?” Here there is a sadness, a weariness to the delivery, which makes it all the more honest and effective. The song asks if we can do it, and if it would be worth it if we did. It’s a striking song. This track features some beautiful work on strings by Eli Bishop, and a moving instrumental section in the second half.

It is interesting to me that in the world of song, lyrics about going home and lyrics about leaving seem equally appealing. In “Time To Go,” Teresa Storch knows she needs to go, but wants to enjoy her home once more before departing, singing “Enjoy this old back porch one last time.” Toward the end of the track, there is a powerful build, a great swell, a burst of energy that seems like a wave pushing us on, taking us to the future, to something new, to that destination. The song then relaxes just before the end, as Teresa leaves us with this thought: “There’s nothing to be scared of.” She repeats the line, which might add to the line’s resolve, to its certainty, or it might make us think she is uncertain and needs the confirmation. That’s followed by the album’s sole cover, “We Belong,” a song written by Dan Navarro and Eric Lowen. It was a hit for Pat Benatar in 1984. I’ve heard the song many times since then, sometimes the Pat Benatar version and sometimes Dan Navarro’s own rendition, and it’s always held up for me. This version by Teresa Storch Band is wonderful, with a strong vocal performance. These guys dig into it and deliver a powerful version.

“It’s Not Okay” is a song about gender inequality and the excuses people make for behavior and unwanted comments. And it’s about not accepting those excuses. “I hear you think it’s just what people say/I hear you meant nothing by it/I heard you claim it’s just how you were raised/Still I say, it’s not okay,” Teresa Storch sings at the beginning of this one. It’s crazy that a song like is still needed, but we find ourselves in a time when a man heard on tape bragging about sexual assault was still able to become the president of the country and is threatening to do so again (this time even after a jury found him guilty of sexual abuse). What is wrong with us as a people? Do we not have mothers, sisters, daughters, female friends? Christopher Wright plays drums on this track. “It’s Not Okay” is followed by “Independence Reign,” which has a pretty and uplifting folk sound, featuring Eli Bishop on mandolin, and builds from there to include some good work on electric guitar. “This is a solitary life/Still, I wonder if we might share the ride/Well, you’ve got dreams to find, while I’m out here living mine/But I miss security sometimes.” Approximately halfway through the track, this song bursts up to another level. The disc then concludes with a reprise of “Things Will Get Better” (which is not listed on the CD case), leaving us where we started, though perhaps now sharing that hope, the optimism of the song. “Things will get better/Believing is the first step.”

CD Track List

1. Things Will Get Better
2. Open Your Heart
3. Feels So Good
4. Best Of Both Worlds
5. This Is The Time
6. Would I Burn
7. Ballad Of St. Francis
8. Time To Go
9. We Belong
10. It’s Not Okay
11. Independence Reign
12. Things Will Get Better (Reprise)

Open Your Heart was released on April 26, 2024.