The album opens with “Yesterday’s Heavy,” which was written by Lisa Carver and Helene Cronin. Early in the song she sings, “You keep taking yourself and dragging your pain wherever you go/Taking it out on everyone who tries to get close/Why you got to hold onto the past/Don’t you get tired of the weight of all that?” We all have weight that we carry with us, and listening to this song, we might want to take a look inward, to take a fresh look at our own burdens, and see which ones we can finally let go of. This song exists somewhere where the pop, folk and rock realms overlap. Then “Make The Devil” opens with a question, one each of us asks at some point, perhaps shouting to the heavens, “Why do bad things happen to good people?” And indeed, this song directly addresses God. And, yes, if there is a god, he or she is going to have to answer some questions. I keep thinking about something I read about the concentration camps, that someone had written on the wall, “If there is a god, he will have to beg for my forgiveness.” Difficult to argue with that. In this song, Helene Cronin asks, “Oh, please explain, why did you make the devil?” This track has a false ending. Then when it continues, it goes into an instrumental section. I appreciate the presence of banjo, which has a comforting and grounding effect while the guitars raise their voices. “Make The Devil” was written by Davis Corley and Helene Cronin.
“Just A Woman” has an eerie opening, like spirits having become the wind. Then the piece takes on a melancholy tone, and features some really nice work by Emily Nelson on cello. And indeed the song is told from the perspective of the dead, opening with these lines: “They called me wicked/They called me devil’s child/They called me temptress.” This is a woman who was burned at the stake. The song’s perspective then changes, widens, to include other women’s lives from different times: “They thought they silenced me when the last breath left my body/But there’s so many like me with their own stories/And we will not be quiet.” This is a powerful song, its impact increased by the addition of several backing vocalists repeating “We will not be, we will not be, we will not be quiet,” an uplifting and empowering conclusion to the song. Wendy Moten, Vicki Hampton, Heidi Newfield and Shelly Fairchild join Helene Cronin on vocals on this track. Todd Locke is on keys, and Chris Powell is on drums. “Just A Woman” was written by Lisa Carver and Helene Cronin. That is followed by the album’s title track, “Landmarks,” which Helene Cronin wrote with Ava Paige Davis. When I think of the word “landmarks,” I think of the town I grew up in, and the various indications that I am getting closer to home. But it’s not a word I think of in the city, and I think part of that is that the city is constantly changing, and when something new is built, it is often difficult to even recall what was there before. “And those are the signs that’ll guide us home/When you get away from what you know/Feel a little lost and a lot alone/If the water is deep, the waves are getting high/When all you want to do is turn around/Retrace your steps to solid ground/You can find your way back from wherever you are/By looking for the landmarks.” This song features some wonderful work on steel guitar.
“What Do You Lean On” is a song that is built around a question, and again, it invites us to take a look at our own lives. These last several years have put the question into focus. What has gotten you through these uncertain times? “Is it a phone call to an old friend you hope is going to pull you through?” Whatever it is, it has to be “Something strong enough to hold you up/‘Cause it’s made to take your weight.” “What Do You Lean On” was written by Andrea Renfree, Deidre Thornell and Helene Cronin. That’s followed by “Halfway Back To Knoxville,” which has a beautifully sad tone, featuring a moving vocal performance and some good work on steel guitar. “Tonight I’m halfway back to Knoxville/My heart’s just broke enough to see/Yeah, I’m halfway back to Knoxville/Because Knoxville ain’t coming back to me.” This line also stands out: “My regrets, they’re the gasoline.” This song was written by Phillip Lammonds and Helene Cronin. Then “Your Cross” is another song to use religious imagery, with Helene singing, “Now why am I being crucified” and “I’m done hanging on your cross.” This song has a serious feel and sound, with a steady, insistent rhythm.
Helene Cronin then goes further into the country realm with “Between Me And Your Road,” a song about being a traveling musician, and all that comes with that. “The empty rooms, the sold out shows/The miles we’ve got left to go/Well, that’s between me and the road.” Bobby Terry delivers more great stuff on steel guitar. Then “You Do” opens with these lines: “I can hold onto a grudge ‘til my body aches/And I have trouble getting past my own mistakes/And I don’t forgive as easy as I should/As I wish I would.” It is a sort of confession, and her delivery is sincere. I also appreciate these early lines: “I’d have more patience if it didn’t take so long/I don’t always see the best in people/Or trust that good wins over evil.” And once we have aligned ourselves with her, seeing the truth of these lines in ourselves, she adjusts the perspective to another person, saying, “But you do,” and holding onto the word “you,” adding emphasis to that word, to really draw the comparison and to show how much that person is appreciated, and needed. “You hold me even when I’m hard to reach/When I fall apart, you keep your faith in me/You understand my wildest hopes/When to let me fly, when to pull me close/Half the time I don’t know what I need/But you do.” Oh yes, may we each have someone like that in our lives. This song features a beautiful vocal performance. “You Do” was written by Nicole Lewis and Helene Cronin.
There is more religious imagery in “What They Didn’t Build,” opening with these lines: “That steeple on the corner been pointing up to heaven since 1884/The whole town came out the day they hung that cross above the double doors/It’s where mama and daddy got married/It’s where I first believed.” The instruments fall out for the line, “But it will be gone next week,” so that particular line has a more intimate feel. The instruments then come back in with a power. “People love to tear down what they didn’t build.” That’s an interesting line, because of course it can apply to all sorts of things, not just physical edifices, and Helene Cronin gets into that here. This song was written by Ryan Larkins and Helene Cronin. That’s followed by “Bodies Of Water,” the album’s only track that Helene Cronin wrote alone. It’s a pretty song, particularly her vocal work. “And I can’t hold back the flood of emotion/Mystery deep as any ocean.” She then leaves us with a rather fun, delightful number, “Cross That River,” which has gospel elements and more religious references and imagery: “I want to walk on over like Jesus would.” The song is about lightening one’s load, a subject that might remind us of the album’s opening track, and it is totally catchy. “Those grudges will pull you under/So will regrets that you hang on to.” That line about grudges of course reminds us of the opening line of “You Do.” “Can I get an ‘amen’?” she asks at the end of the song.
CD Track List
- Yesterday’s Heavy
- Make The Devil
- Just A Woman
- Landmarks
- What Do You Lean On
- Halfway Back To Knoxville
- Your Cross
- Between Me And The Road
- You Do
- What They Didn’t Build
- Bodies Of Water
- Cross That River
Landmarks is
scheduled to be released on February 3, 2023.
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