The Furious Seasons: “La Fonda” (2020) CD Review

When The Furious Seasons released their last album, Now Residing Abroad, in 2018, the country was figuring out how to deal with its new identity, with a racist and mendacious thug at the helm. That album helped us with its warmth, its humanity, even with its appealing title. Now it is two years later (though feels like a decade), and the entire country is dealing with anger and grief and disbelief. And The Furious Seasons are here to help us again, with a new album that deals with loss and heartbreak. La Fonda features original material, beautiful and engaging songs with memorable and meaningful lyrics. The Furious Seasons are the trio of David Steinhart on vocals and guitar; Jeff Steinhart on bass and keys; and P.A. Nelson on vocals, guitar and dobro. Joining them on this new release are Aubrey Richmond on violin, Eduardo Tancredi on drums and percussion, Arlan Oscar on accordion, and Alfonso Rodenas on percussion and backing vocals.

The album opens with “As A Matter Of Fact.” There is something beautiful and sad about the sound of this track, and so it immediately makes itself a home in my head. Everything feels at least a bit sad these days, doesn’t it? The song’s opening lines, “Well, the day breaks hot/Before you expect it will,” are lines everyone here in Los Angeles can relate to, where this song takes place. “And I don’t blame you much/L.A. just feeds your crutch/You drink it up/You backtrack.” This group is based in Los Angeles, and is able to capture and convey the feel of this city so well. And check out these excellent lines: “And it’s no secret that/She’d probably take you back/But how long could that last/You’d break that vow before the month is out/And her spirit just as fast.” And a line right near the end grabbed me as well: “L.A.’s all we’ve got.” That feels especially true these days, eh? These guys can really craft a lyric that gets in your head as well as pulls at your heart. Take these lines from “Figure It Out,” for example: “But I could have done/What I should have done/But I never did, and so/All that is left now/Is to figure out how to let you go.” Those lines are delivered gently, with care, which makes them all the more heart-wrenching and meaningful.

The first lines of “Burn Clean” are delivered a cappella, which works to grab our attention and pull us in: “I may never hang that picture of you/I may never know exactly why.” In addition to a strong vocal performance, including some sweet harmonies, this track features some pretty work on violin by Aubrey Richmond. And check out these lines: “A new melody emerged/But that dissonant refrain/It rose like a monster from the bottom of the lake/Waiting for your soul to reclaim.” “And I believe you thought that it would save your life” is a wonderfully sad line for all that it conveys and all that it implies. “I Was An Actor” has a more cheerful sound right from the start, with that steady drum beat and that guitar work. It is another song of Los Angeles, mentioning the profession that everyone here at some point tries to embrace, as well as the Hollywood sign. Its opening lines are “For a little while/All the planets were aligned/You were a beacon/You were a North Star/And I was an actor.” As much as I like the lyrics, it is that guitar part during the instrumental section in the second half of the track that makes this one special. This group is adept at crafting opening lines that pull us in. The first line of “Slide Into Sadness” in particular stands out for me: “Anger slides into sadness.” Yes. That has been our existence for the past four years, and especially today. And what will come of the sadness? What will emerge from that? “Some tunes fade away/And some end suddenly/And some twist and turn and/End in a way you would never believe.” Ah, but we are ready. There is more sweet work on guitar here.

“Statistically Speaking” has a beautiful and comforting sound. The line “Living scared, sick of myself, sick of this town” describes a feeling we’ve all been in touch with at some point, I imagine. It is probably common in places all over the world, but seems like something that is very much a part of life in Los Angeles. Yet there is hope in this song. There is hope. It is a song of second chances, of friendship. That’s followed by “Pitch Black.” In this song it is the final line that really sticks with me: “Could you just let me be someone that you can count on?” That is a great last line. Then “Vast Divide” has a brighter, fuller sound, yet is a song of loss and goodbyes and the possibility of meeting again. “Raise your glass and I’ll raise mine like everything is going to turn out fine.” Though of course that word “like” seems to imply to me that everything is not going to turn out fine. “But I’ve no illusions now/I kind of wish that I did.” Indeed.

Being partly Irish myself, the title “Your Irish Funeral” stood out for me when I first glanced at the CD’s track list. On the occasions when I think of my own funeral, I usually think about what music I want played (Grateful Dead, Josh Lederman Y Los Diablos, Cat Stevens). In the funeral of this song it is the music of Jeff Buckley, The Avett Brothers and Paul Simon that is played. This song also mentions 3 Clubs, a place in Hollywood that used to play fun 1980s music once a week. “The room, it was rightfully heavy and sad/And I was just pissed off/I said some hard things/Some that needed saying/I feel less like that now.” The album then concludes with “I Want To Be Sure.” There is a looking back in this song, to what was probably a better time. It is a song of memory, but memory can elude us, can change things, can come in pieces. This is a song about wanting to remember things correctly, with the line “And I want to be sure that I remember it right.” Like the entire album, this song is beautiful and sad, and wonderful.

CD Track List

1. As A Matter Of Fact
2. Figure It Out
3. Burn Clean
4. I Was An Actor
5. Slide Into Sadness
6. Statistically Speaking
7. Pitch Black
8. Vast Divide
9. Your Irish Funeral
10. I Want To Be Sure

La Fonda is scheduled to be released on August 7, 2020 on Stonegarden Records.