Ryan Lee Crosby: "At The Blue Front" (2025) CD Review

Singer and songwriter Ryan Lee Crosby might be based in Rhode Island, but it is clear from listening to his new album, At The Blue Front, that there is a good deal of Mississippi in his soul. And it was to Mississippi that he went to record the album, as might be clear from its title. The Blue Front Cafe is located in Bentonia, Mississippi, a place known for its own particular country blues style. The venue opened in the 1940s, and was run by Carey and Mary Holmes, and is now run by their son, Jimmy "Duck" Holmes, a great blues artist you've likely heard. Holmes' last album, Cypress Grove, was produced by Dan Auerbach, the vocalist and guitarist for The Black Keys. And Jimmy "Duck" Holmes joins Ryan Lee Crosby on half of this album's tracks, on guitar and vocals. Also joining Ryan Lee Crosby on this release are Grant Smith on percussion, and Jay Scheffler on harmonica. Ryan Lee Crosby plays 12-string guitar. The songs are a mix of originals and traditional numbers.

The album opens with one of the traditional tunes, "Going Away," which establishes a good low-down blues rhythm at the start, and features some really nice work on harmonica before Ryan Lee Crosby comes in on vocals. "I'm gonna catch that train/And I'll be moving on." The track has a delicious, raw sound, with also a somewhat relaxed vibe to the vocal performance. He's not trying to sell us anything, just telling us how things are. And this track features some excellent stuff on guitar. That's followed by an original composition by Ryan Lee Crosby, "I'm Gonna Change," which begins with some cool guitar work over a steady rhythm. "Yes, I'm gonna change/I'm gonna change my ways," Ryan sings here. This is something I've been thinking about a lot lately, whether people are truly capable of change. I think they can change, but only within a somewhat narrow scope. No matter how determined you are, you only have yourself to work with, and can't move beyond those natural bounds. Ryan Lee Crosby does sound determined, and soon we learn why: "You know I love you/And I don't want to leave/So, baby, that's why I'm gonna change/Change all my ways." Oh yes, guys, probably all change that is possible is done because of a woman, because we've failed her in some way, hurt her in some way, disappointed her in some way.

"I've Been Worried" is another original composition, this one with an insistent, energetic rhythm, and so a different tone. "Well, I've been worried/I won't be worried long," he tells us at the beginning. "Because the time will come/It's gonna come/And this will all be gone." True. Regardless of what specifically he's talking about, it's true. Everything is fleeting. Whatever you are thinking of, it will be gone one day. I suppose most worries are pointless. But it's difficult to stop, especially these days. We just have to do our best to not let worry get the best of us. I love the way his fingers seems to be dancing on his guitar. This track features such great work on guitar. That's followed by "Mistreating People," also an original composition, a song in which he advises, "Don't go around mistreating people/It's gonna come back your way." I don't believe in karma, but as my girlfriend says, someday a guy will mistreat the wrong person and pay the price. And speaking of mistreating people, I wonder if those evil ICE agents will get theirs soon. "And now I'm here all alone," he sings. But the harmonica helps him out, keeps him company. The blues keep him company. "I'm sorry, oh yeah, I'm sorry/For what I did and didn't do."

Jimmy "Duck" Holmes then joins Ryan Lee Crosby for the second half of the album's tracks, beginning with "Hard Times," a traditional number. "Hard times, hard times/Well, they'll bring you down/Hard times/Oh, they'll get you down." Oh yes, there is no question. Hard times lurk just around the corner. And, let's face it, the times are hard now, in so many ways. I love the way the two guitars support each other and interact. That guitar work is at the heart of this track. This track also features some nice touches on harmonica. Then we get "Catfish." There is something playful about a song that begins with the line, "Oh, I wish I was a catfish," and expresses an eagerness to "have all you pretty people fishing after me." But this is also a pretty cool number, and both Ryan Lee Crosby and Jimmy "Duck" Holmes deliver some strong vocal work. This is a song that Jimmy "Duck" Holmes performed on Cypress Grove, there titled "Catfish Blues." Interestingly, the lyrics are somewhat different, the opening line of that earlier version being "Said if I were the catfish." These guys put their own spin on these numbers.

"Slow down, slow down/You're going too fast," Ryan Lee Crosby tells us at the beginning of "Slow Down," and these blues themselves seem capable of slowing us down, of even adjusting our pulse, as we find ourselves aligning with the music's own pulse. Again, I love the sound of these two guitars. Everything feels right here. Jimmy "Duck" Holmes adds, "You'd better change, change your ways," and it seems he is speaking to one specific person, one specific woman. "If you don't change your ways/You're gonna end up in an early grave." And when Ryan sings, "I'm gonna change, change all my ways for you," we are reminded of the album's second track. Again, it's for love, right? How many men would be complete wrecks if it weren't for that special woman? This one fades out. The album then concludes with "Tell Me." "Tell me how long, how long/How long your good man gonna be gone?" Jimmy "Duck" Holmes asks here. This track contains some really good guitar work. It too fades out, and we get the sense that these two guitarists might have gone on jamming into the evening.

CD Track List

1. Going Away
2. I'm Gonna Change
3. I've Been Worried
4. Mistreating People
5. Hard Times
6. Catfish
7. Slow Down
8. Tell Me

At The Blue Front is scheduled to be released on August 20, 2025 on Crossnote Records.

Mekons: "Horror" (2025) CD Review

If you're looking for something to celebrate - and I think we're all in need of such things these days - how about this: the Mekons are on tour, the full band, and they have a new album out. Two things worth celebrating, actually. The Mekons are one of the world's greatest bands, and somehow much of the world is still unaware of their greatness. The band formed in the 1970s as a strange sort of art project, and somehow - through changes in personnel and changes in the music itself, and with a mysterious lack of commercial hits - has kept going for nearly five decades. Jon Langford will tell you that he and the other members are trapped within this band. Maybe so. But they always manage to keep things interesting, with each new album different from what has come before. And that is still the case, which is astounding and unlike almost every other band out there. The band's new album, Horror (and what a perfect title for these days when much of humanity has turned hideous), is different from their previous releases, and yet still totally makes sense within this world the band has forged. Interestingly, the CD contains no liner notes whatsoever, no credits, no names, no thoughts. It's about letting the music speak for itself. However, there is a sticker on the plastic wrap of the disc, and that sticker says, in part: "'Horror' provides a prescient reflection of the world in its current miasma and how we got here." Yes. This music is now, no question. But it is delivered with that great joy and optimism and humanity that I have come to expect and appreciate from this incredible group of musicians.

The album opens with "The Western Design," which has something of a reggae feel, that easygoing vibe. The song begins on December 25, 1654, as the English fleet planned an attack on Spain's colonies. Yes, the song tells a historical story, an unfolding story. I love the way it is described at the beginning: "The empire casting off." And I love the way that line is delivered. The image is so positive, so optimistic, so innocent. But we know. We know. And the line "The work we may do in the world" is repeated for emphasis, the second time delivered more slowly. What may you be thinking then? The glories of British imperialism. The line pops up again later in the song. This is an engaging number to kick off the album, and it features some beautiful work by Susie Honeyman on violin toward the end. Yes, this band has done it again. And this is just the opening number. We're then ushered into a twisted carnival with "Sad And Sad And Sad," finding ourselves within a dance, a dreamlike waltz that is completely delightful. Ah yes, I feel like we should go on dancing, as the world and reality crumble around us, which they seem to be doing now. "I'll measure my age by everything that I've forgotten." What a great line, and it grabs me particularly as I'm at an age where more and more slips from the grasp of memory. Here we have entered a dream. For isn't this whole thing some bizarre dream anyway? The line "And there is a lack of tomorrows" can be depressing as all hell, and can also be freeing. This line is also repeated, the truth of it hitting home. This is one of my personal favorite tracks.

"Glasgow" has an electronic sound at its start, which comes as a surprise. Then it takes on more of a straight rock sound, at least for a moment, with guitar work that might be at home in a Rolling Stones song. But then it quickly, smoothly moves in a more new wave sound, all that before the song's first lines: "I lived ten years in Glasgow/And it sometimes felt like home/All the time that passed/We don't get back." The violin plays a prominent part in the sound, over that steady rhythm, and the track features a lovely lead on violin. "I was sick and tired of everything." Then "Fallen Leaves" opens in a mellower, dreamlike state, a place of contemplation, of reflection, of deep blue ripples in memory. And perhaps memory is all we'll have left. This song features a captivating vocal performance that has its own great beauty. "The dry earth cracks and shadows grow/A dying sun sinks down/Horrors and cold slaughter, silent mystery." The song is both beautiful and dark, and features more great stuff on violin. That line "A dying sun sinks down" is revisited at the very end, the image the song leaves us with.

The band switches gears then with "War Economy," which comes on like a wild punk pop gem, of spirit and force. "On behalf of the future/I ask you to leave the past alone/You are not welcome/We have no government/We did not invite you/You do not know us/Nor do you know our world/You have no right to rule us." Those are the song's first lines, putting us in a particular frame of mind. And when the words "Violence and greed" are sung, they are echoed, shouted in the background, which feels just exactly right. Other words are likewise echoed and shouted. The anger is just behind us, rising to the surface. We can feel it, not just hear it. That's followed by "Mudcrawlers," a solid rock number with an opening moment that might make you think of The Who, yet with vocals that have a smooth aspect, reminding me of some stuff from the 1980s. How many different places has this band taken us in just the first half of this album? "We walk and then we run." These guys take us in yet another direction with "A Horse Has Escaped," with a sort of light industrial vibe at the beginning. A haunting aspect is also established, and then emphasized when the vocals come in. "Were we ever happy, or were we never happy?" Sally Timms asks. And we can't help but take a quick look at our own lives for the answer. I imagine we were happy. Interestingly, either way, it's in the past, isn't it? "What steps should I take to obscure my mistake/The ship is sinking and a horse has escaped."

"Private Defense Contractor" opens with a sound that could come from the darkest of Talking Heads moments, that section before the vocals. That steady beat gathers us in, invites us to take part in a ritual, which then seems to become a form of labor. This track has an unusual and interesting atmosphere, with some psychedelic elements. The vocals are delivered with something of a punk snarl. "In my fantasy world, the owl has flown/Cryptic signs say crawl under the throne/May the happy church hold you." This song ends with the word "forever," and there is a sense of this continuing into some form of eternity. So then "Sanctuary" comes as a surprise, opening on piano, the sound from sometime in the past. The vocal work has an ethereal quality, and is lovely. "Like friends we never met." The drums soon take on something of a march. I can become completely immersed in this music, maybe even lose my way back to that other reality I had known. Happily lose my way, in fact. Before the end of this track, there is whistling. It's all so wonderful. Then "Surrender" has a prominent rhythm, and everything seems to work within its framework, even the vocals. "In the future, we'll find ecstasy/In the future we surrender."

"You're Not Singing Anymore," perhaps more than any other track, has something of that classic Mekons sound or vibe, whatever that might mean (seems silly to even say that, actually). But, you know, with many voices rising together near the beginning, lifting us up. That sort of energy, that sort of joy. "You said it was easy/No questions at all/Now songs of the past/You're not singing anymore." It then kicks in, growing from there, with a steady rhythm on bass. And it becomes another of my personal favorites. The album concludes with "Before The Ice Age," which might have been the first song I heard from this release. Dave Trumfio, as Nervous Boy, performed a rare solo set here in Los Angeles in early February, opening for Jon Langford and Sally Timms. And during that set, Sally joined him for a rendition of this song. This is another interesting, unusual song from this interesting, unusual band, the lyrics delivered as a sport of spoken word ("An infectious, slow motion catastrophe, melting"), as we drift into oblivion. And when we do, when we really do, this is the band that will be playing.

CD Track List

1. The Western Design
2. Sad And Sad And Sad
3. Glasgow
4. Fallen Leaves
5. War Economy
6. Mudcrawlers
7. A Horse Has Escaped
8. Private Defense Contractor
9. Sanctuary
10. Surrender
11. You're Not Singing Anymore
12. Before The Ice Age

Horror was released on April 4, 2025 on Fire Records.

Sandy Rogers: "Tingling Blue" (2025) CD Review

The new Sandy Rogers album is one I'd been hearing about for a while, one I was excited to finally listen to. And I am thrilled to find that it lives up to my incredibly high expectations, even exceeds them. I suppose I should mention why my expectations were so high, aside from the obvious fact that Sandy Rogers is an incredible songwriter. First, there is the work of Paul Lacques, whom you likely know from I See Hawks In L.A., Double Naught Spy Car, and Rotondi. Paul was producing this album until his death in January of 2024. He was not only producing this album, but his playing is heard on most of the tracks, on both electric guitar and lap steel. He also wrote one of the songs. So that contributed greatly to my interest in this release and my high expectations. Then, when work started up on the album again, fellow I See Hawks In L.A. member Paul Marshall took over producing it. And his great bass work and backing vocals are present on these tracks. If that weren't enough to get me excited, fellow Hawks member Victoria Jacobs is on drums. So, yeah, I had very high expectations for this one. And it is a fantastic album. By the way, that cool photo on the album cover is by Sandy Rogers.

Sandy opens Tingling Blue with its title track, which is one of the few tracks that Paul Lacques does not play on. Billy Watts plays guitar on this one. You might know him from his work with Teresa James And The Rhythm Tramps, and also on albums by John Mayall, Laura Tate, and Matt Lomeo, among many others. He delivers some really good stuff here. And special guest Ray Bonneville plays harmonica here, adding some delicious work. "Something about picking up my guitar/Something about feeling like singing a tune," Sandy Rogers sings here. Ah yes! There is an easygoing country rock vibe here that is completely appealing. And what a cool vocal performance! "Nothing quite like climbing my mountain/Nothing quite like tingling, tingling through and through." Sandy Rogers wrote this track, and it is one of the album's many highlights. It is followed by a cover of Blackie Farrell's "One Of Those Kind," a song from his 2016 album Cold Country Blues. Sandy changes the gender of the person the song is about from female to male. Paul Lacques is on this track, and it is, as you'd expect, wonderful to hear new work from him. "Everything is blue, he's gone," Sandy sings early on in this track, and I can't help but think of Paul. Paul delivers some excellent work on guitar here, and Sandy delivers a really nice and nuanced vocal performance. Hers is a voice you can't help but fall in love with.

"Loving you is killing my heart," Sandy sings in "Lonesome Man," not holding back or mincing words at all. This is another original song, this track featuring Billy Watts on guitar. "I'm taking my stuff, getting rid of my phone/I made up my mind, now I'm ready to go." Yeah, sometimes it is clear that leaving is the answer. And she tells this guy directly, "You're gonna be a lonesome man/You're gonna be crying all night long." I love how she is both aching and sure of herself. We hear it all in her performance. And the music has an easygoing vibe that tells us that she is going to be just fine, and that she is almost certainly correct about how the poor bastard is going to feel once she's gone. That's followed by another original composition by Sandy Rogers, "Fun For Christmas." "I want something good going on," she sings here. Oh yes, so do we all, especially these days. "For Christmas, I want something fun." And I love the backing vocals echoing "For Christmas." Yes, I'll be adding this song to my holiday play list. But this is one of those rare Christmas songs that work the year round. "I want something wonderful to happen to us all/So pick up your mandolin, my sweet sister." Yes, exactly. Music is what will help us all. Paul Lacques performs on this track. "For Christmas, I want some peace and love."

"In Her Auto-mobile" begins with the sound effect of a car starting, before that cool country rhythm comes in and sets things in motion. This is another original composition by Sandy Rogers, and there is something playful about this one. "Rocking and rolling in the silver vinyl seat/Singing out the words to her favorite songs/Tapping her feet as she moves along." That's the mood I try to maintain while I'm in my car, particularly when I'm stuck in traffic. Paul Lacques delivers some great stuff on guitar, and there is a good little jam at the end, which I love. That's followed by a cover of Willy Tea Taylor's "You Found Me," which was the lead track on his 2015 album Knuckleball Prime. Interestingly, this track features the work of both Paul Lacques and Billy Watts, the only track they both appear on. And special guest Richie Lawrence plays accordion on this track. Richie Lawrence, as you probably recall, was in Rotondi with Paul Lacques. Sandy Rogers delivers an absolutely wonderful rendition, it having a somewhat more cheerful sound than the original, in part because of Richie's work. "Lots of trips into town/Lots of booze I'm trying to drown/I've got my friends to keep me up from down/But no one to put my arms around."

The album then returns to original material with "Marilyn," a song about Marilyn Monroe. This track features some great stuff by Paul Lacques on lap steel. And what a wonderful vocal performance by Sandy Rogers. "There's only two things worth living for/Only two things worth trying/One of them is love, and the other one is dying." That is followed by the album's final original composition by Sandy Rogers, "Turn Around." In this one, she sings, "Don't know who to trust/Everybody doesn't have a clue/Nobody knows what to do/Turn around/Close your eyes and see the joy/Turn around, turn around." There is such a good vibe to this one. It's making me feel better about the world. Part of it is that bass line. And there is that great stuff from Paul Lacques on lap steel. And Kim Lenz also plays electric guitar on this one, adding to the track's cheer. But mainly it is Sandy's vocal performance that makes this track stand out. "Oh boy, oh boy, oh boy."

Then we get the Paul Lacques song, "Wild Bill," though interestingly this is one of the few tracks that he does not play on. Billy Watts is on guitar for this one. John David plays harmonica, helping to set the tone. It's an excellent and moving song. "My days of fun are through," Sandy sings at the beginning. But the lines that especially stand out for me are these: "I watch this sleepy fire/Winds howl across the coals/Not scared as I retire/In my bag of bones/Now I lay me down to sleep." This track has an undeniable beauty. Sandy Rogers then wraps up the album with a cover of Nick Gravenites' "Run Out Of West," a song that was included on his Kill My Brain album (where it is listed as "Ran Out Of West"). And there is another version out there where Nick Gravenites is backed by John Cipollina (of Quicksilver Messenger Service) on guitar and Merl Saunders (who played with Jerry Garcia) on keys, and that version is even better. That version is titled "Run Out Of West." Anyway, this rendition by Sandy Rogers is excellent, featuring some captivating work by Paul Lacques on lap steel. "It's you and me, baby/That's all we got."

CD Track List

1. Tingling Blue
2. One Of Those Kind
3. Lonesome Man
4. Fun For Christmas
5. In Her Auto-mobile
6. You Found Me
7. Marilyn
8. Turn Around
9. Wild Bill
10. Run Out Of West

Tingling Blue was released on May 22, 2025.

Peggy James: "Till I Turn Blue (2025) CD Review

Peggy James is a singer and songwriter based in Milwaukee. She is a talented artist who does not feel tied to any one musical genre, her original material containing aspects of different types of music. You'll hear that immediately when you put on her new album, Till I Turn Blue. This album features all original material, written by Peggy James. She plays acoustic guitar and electric guitar on these tracks, and is joined by Jim Eannelli, who also plays acoustic guitar and electric guitar, as well as slide guitar, bass and drums. He is also responsible for the album's cool cover art. He is another musician who is at home in many different musical realms, as you heard on his own 2024 release Just Deserts (that album featuring Peggy James on backing vocals). Gary Tanin, who mastered Till I Turn Blue, joins Peggy James on piano and organ (he also played piano and organ on Just Deserts), and Vic Span plays drums on one track.

The album opens with "Compensation," which has country and rock elements, and tells the story of a couple who married when the woman was young ("too young," Peggy James sings). And soon there are children, and soon after that there is trouble. "You took her heart and you broke it in two/Sitting at the table with the meal prepared/She said, don't worry, children, daddy will be here/You used to be her lover and her best friend too/But the fire in the whiskey got to you." It's interesting how she refers to the man in the second person, but the woman in the third person, something that keeps us on our toes while we listen. It makes us wonder just who the song's narrator is. Perhaps the woman she is singing of is herself, but she is trying to distance herself at least somewhat from what was a bad experience. Her younger self is like a different person to her now. I love that electric guitar part. That song is followed by "There Must Be Gold," which is the track to feature Vic Span on drums. "I will always try/To live up to you/To live up to you," Peggy James sings at the beginning of this one. The track contains some nice vocal work. There is something pretty about this one, particularly in that vocal performance. At the end, she sings, "I will always love you/Always love you/Always love you." And we can hear it in her voice.

From there, she changes directions, delivering a lively a bluesy country number titled "So Over You." Here her voice has more attitude, more power, like she has a razor in her boot or something. Not that she'll need it (her voice is weapon enough), but she's ready. "I'm never crying over you again/Not a tear will be shed/I'm much better off all by myself/Go find somebody else/You can't hurt me no more/Because I am so over you." This one too features some good stuff on electric guitar. Then "First Kiss" is a character song, about a man that some called "nothing but a drifter" who "traveled the rodeo circuit." She begins to describe her personal connection to him, and it becomes a song of a woman's youth, leading up to her first kiss. There is a gentler vibe to this one. "He was no rhinestone cowboy/He was the real deal, one of a kind/Sometimes he would smile in my direction." And I love this line: "And if he broke my heart, I wouldn't mind." Then at the beginning of "Eyes On The Horizon," she sings, "He went from rags to riches/Then riches back to rags." Yes, this is another character song, but also one of traveling, which is always so appealing. "Took a trip across the country/From east to west/Camping underneath the stars." This song has a great, full sound as it builds. "His eyes on the horizon, his options limitless/And he knows he'll never live that way again/But at least he can say he did it once." Those are the lines that really set this song apart from other songs of travel. Most of us don't know we won't live that way again. Songs of travel make me yearn for the road again (though a road that would take me through the past, for the present is so awful in this country).

There is a bit of a Byrds flavor to "A Walk With You" as it starts. There is a sweet, pretty vibe to this song, and a lovely innocence to its sound and lyrics. "Hey, I know you don't know me/But I live right here/And if you ever get lonely/I would love to take a walk with you." Then "Loneliest Girl" comes on with a force, that initial moment. This one tells the story of a girl whose family moved around a lot, making her always "the new girl in town." I am glad I had a rather stable childhood. "Had to say goodbye to her friends/Had to start all over again." This is another line that stands out: "Giving up on fitting in." That's followed by "Stuck On The Track," this one more strongly in the country realm. It's one of those wonderful sad country numbers. "Saturday morning couldn't come too soon/All week long I've been fighting these blues/Since my darling left, I don't know what to do/I'm just trying to bandage up these open wounds." This is such a good number, in which she asks for advice on forgetting the one she loves.

"Till I Turn Blue," the album's title track, immediately establishes a very cool atmosphere and sound. "Now I finally see through this deception/I know who exactly who you are/I should go and have you arrested/Lock you up and throw away the key." Oh yes. We each might have someone specific in mind when hearing those lines. "Nobody's safe as long as you're free." This track features one of the album's best vocal performances. Plus, there is some excellent guitar work. Really, everything about this one works perfectly, and it's one of my personal favorites. Peggy James then goes into the folk realm with "O. Winston Link." She begins this one with a question: "Have you heard of a man named O. Winston Link?" The answer, for me, was no. But by the end of the song, I knew something about this man, a photographer who focused his work on the railroads. It's a beautiful song. "At a crossing with the full moon behind." And it's followed by another beautiful song, "You're Still The Highlight," a love song that features a passionate, gorgeous vocal performance. "I don't know if I told you/Though I really meant to/I wonder if you realize/That, darling, you're still the highlight of my life." This track also features some really nice work by Gary Tanin on keys. Later in the song, she sings, "I just want to hear you say/That, darling, I'm still the highlight of your life." The album concludes with a powerful number titled "Isn't Anybody Coming?" in which she sings, "Our city's falling, the walls are crashing down/And all our people have gone underground/The glass is breaking, it's a terrifying sound/Mothers, hold your children close/Here comes, here comes another round." She then asks, "Isn't anybody coming to our aid?"

CD Track List

1. Compensation
2. There Must Be Gold
3. So Over You
4. First Kiss
5. Eyes On The Horizon
6. A Walk With You
7. Loneliest Girl
8. Stuck On The Track
9. Till I Turn Blue
10. O. Winston Link
11. You're Still The Highlight
12. Isn't Anybody Coming?

Till I Turn Blue was released on June 27, 2025 on Happy Growl Records.

Christopher Cross: "Christopher Cross" (1979/2025) CD Review

Christopher Cross started his career with a pair of hits, "Ride Like The Wind" and "Sailing," both of which are also on his self-titled debut album (though apparently there was one single released before those, on a small label). From there, his fame increased in the next few years with "Best That You Can Do," the theme from the movie Arthur (a movie I've been wanting to revisit) and then "All Right" and "Think Of Laura," the latter a huge hit. His unmistakable voice was everywhere in the early 1980s. Omnivore Recordings has now released an expanded edition of that first album, with eleven bonus tracks, including several previously unreleased demos. By the way, there are some talented musicians backing Christopher Cross on this album, including Michael McDonald, Valerie Carter, Nicolette Larson, Don Henley and JD Souther, all of whom providing backing vocal work here. The album also features Michael Omartian on piano, Rob Meurer on keys, Andy Salmon on bass, Tommy Taylor on drums, and Lenny Castro on percussion. This expanded edition contains new liner notes by Gene Sculatti.

The album opens with a bright, cheerful number, "Say You'll Be Mine," a song that has such a good feel about it, a song that comes from a better world. "Won't you say you'll be mine/Say you'll be mine until the sun shines/Say you'll be mine/And bring me the dream of a lifetime." It features a nice lead on electric guitar in the middle. That's Jay Graydon  on guitar. And the song features Nicolette Larson on backing vocals. Interestingly, she too would end up having a song on the Arthur soundtrack. Michael McDonald then lends his vocal support to "I Really Don't Know Anymore," echoing Christopher Cross on the chorus. There is more of an urgent feel as this one begins. "What do you think about love/Is it a way to be saved." The chorus then has a certain beauty. This track too features some good work on electric guitar, this time by Larry Carlton. You probably know him from his work with Joni Mitchell and Steely Dan, among many others.

"Spinning" features Valerie Carter joining Christopher Cross on vocals. She is known for her work with Jackson Browne and Little Feat, as well as for her solo work, and she gives a wonderful performance here. This track also contains some good stuff on keys. In addition to Michael Omartian's work on piano, this one features Rob Meurer on electric piano, synthesizer and celeste. And Chuck Findley plays flugelhorn, delivering some nice work, particularly in the second half. His playing lifts the song to another level, and is my favorite element of the track. That's followed by "Never Be The Same." I've always liked Lenny Castro's percussion on this track. And of course it features an excellent vocal performance by Christopher Cross. "Just one thing that you've got to know/No one will ever touch me that way/The way that you did that very first day/And I will never be the same without you here/I'll live alone and hide myself behind my tears." Here he is joined by Stormie Omartian, Myrna Matthews and Marty McCall on backing vocals. Jay Graydon delivers another strong lead on electric guitar.

The first side of the original record ended with one of the album's most interesting songs, "Poor Shirley." It has a kind of vibrant pop feel for much of it, then a mellower, more contemplative feel for certain parts, like when he sings, "Dearly held are the friends/Left in the years and lost in the war/Dearly held are the loves/Save for the ones you lose on your own." And toward the end, there is the repeated line, "Save ourselves from all of the pain," and as it repeats we begin to internalize the line. And that cool guitar part at the end is by Christopher Cross himself. This ends up being one of my favorite tracks. The second side of the original release opens with "Ride Like The Wind," the first single released. This is a lively, kind of exciting number, and Lenny Castro's percussion plays a prominent role on it. "I'm on the run, no time to sleep/I've got to ride, ride like the wind." Christopher's voice has more of an edge on this one, fitting with the character of the song. Michael McDonald provides backing vocals on this track. This is a song that Christopher Cross dedicated to Lowell George, who died in the summer of 1979.

"The Light Is On" is the track to feature Don Henley and JD Souther on backing vocals. There is something catchy about this one, particularly in its chorus: "But it's all right, the light is on/The darkness has run to hide/It's all right, the light is on/But the darkness is just outside." Both Victor Feldman and Lenny Castro are on percussion. Then we get the album's biggest hit, the absolutely beautiful "Sailing," which reached number one on the Billboard chart. The moment it starts, this song takes me back to my childhood. Isn't it wonderful when a song can do that? My brain is fighting to remain there in the past, to not face the horrors of the present day. And isn't there always something appealing about sailing, about being out on the water away from it all? "Just a dream and the wind to carry me/Soon I will be free/Fantasy/It gets the best of me/When I'm sailing." This track contains some nice work on keys. The original album concludes with "Minstrel Gigolo," which was the flip side to the "Ride Like The Wind" single, though there it was a shortened version. "And when you start to sing/You will be their everything/And when you start to sing/Every woman will open up her heart and let you in." This is a soft rock song that goes right to the edge of hard rock at moments, then pulls back. It contains a cool lead on guitar by Eric Johnson, as well as some nice stuff by Tomas Ramirez on saxophone at the end.

Bonus Tracks

This special expanded version of the album contains eleven bonus tracks. The first is "Mary Ann," a song released as a single in Japan in 1980. "Say goodbye to Mary Ann/Tell her I've gone to the promised land/To make my way in the world as a music man." The song has that great youthful and hopeful energy, and the presence of saxophone adds to its appeal. The rest of the bonus tracks are demos, the first of which is "Say You'll Be Mine." This version is a bit rawer, as you'd imagine, but it is a full-band affair, not a solo demo. Such is the case with all these demos. This version has a different guitar part in the middle. This track was previously unreleased. That's followed by the demo of "I Really Don't Know Anymore," which also was previously unreleased. It has a somewhat different tone from the album version, with different stuff on keys near the beginning. It's an excellent version.

The demo of "Parade" was previously released, included in a giant boxed set titled The Complete Works, which was released in 2020 and included thirteen CDs and one record. This song has a sweet, relaxed vibe, a song about going downtown to watch a parade. This song is much more appealing than actually going to a parade. That's followed by a demo of "Smiles Of Angels." The sound quality here is not perfect, and there is a note in the liner notes about that, how the song is included "for historical purposes." Well, let's not get carried away, the sound isn't that bad. Believe me, I have heard much worse, and I think it's great that we are treated to rarities like this song.

The demo of "What Am I Supposed To Believe" is also included here. "What Am I Supposed To Believe" is a song that was included on Christopher Cross' next LP, Another Page (the album that includes "Think Of Laura"). This is a really nice rendition. There are some obvious differences from the version that would be on that record, probably most notably the lack of Karla Bonoff, who joined Christopher Cross on vocals on the album. So this version features Christopher Cross on lead vocals throughout. It too was previously unreleased. That's followed by a demo of "Ride Like The Wind." This one was released earlier, included on The Complete Works. It's a cool version, with a much shorter introduction. Then the demo of "The Light Is On" fades in. This is a seriously good rendition. Strangely, I think I might actually prefer this demo version. As it faded in, it likewise fades out.

Another bonus track that stands out is the demo of  "Passengers," a song I don't think I had heard before. "Passengers, passengers, pick up your tickets/If you want to ride on that train/The train that's going home/It's going home." There is a dreamlike quality to this song, both to his vocal delivery and to the music. There is always something appealing about going home in song. "Everything still looks the same," he sings. But something in the town has changed, as we learn. This track features some nice work on piano. That's followed by the demo of "Mary Ann," titled "Say Goodbye To Mary Ann." There is a different feel to the song's opening in this version. The disc concludes with the demo of "Sailing," which does not have that strings introduction. This one was previously included on The Complete Works. I love both versions of this song.

CD Track List

1. Say You'll Be Mine
2. I Really Don't Know Anymore
3. Spinning
4. Never Be The Same
5. Poor Shirley
6. Ride Like The Wind
7. The Light Is On
8. Sailing
9. Minstrel Gigolo
10. Mary Ann
11. Say You'll Be Mine (Demo)
12. I Really Don't Know Anymore (Demo)
13. Parade (Demo)
14. Smiles Of Angels (Demo)
15. What Am I Supposed To Believe (Demo)
16. Ride Like The Wind (Demo)
17. The Light Is On (Demo)
18. Passengers (Demo)
19. Say Goodbye To Mary Ann (Demo)
20. Sailing (Demo)

This expanded edition of Christopher Cross was released on June 20, 2025 through Omnivore Recordings (it was released digitally on May 2nd).

Juliet Ewing: "Simply 'S Wonderful: The Magic Of Gershwin" (2025) CD Review

I've said it before, but you can never go wrong with Gershwin. And an entire album dedicated to Gershwin material? Well, that simply is wonderful. And that's what vocalist Juliet Ewing gives us as her new release. Simply 'S Wonderful: The Magic Of Gershwin contains some of the best songs written by George Gershwin and Ira Gershwin. Juliet Ewing has something of a history with Gershwin tunes, as she was part of a production of Crazy For You, a musical that is based on Girl Crazy, and contains Gershwin music. And then she developed her own show, Rise Up Singing, which celebrated the music of Gershwin. Joining her on this album are Ron Drotos on piano, David Finck on bass, and Mark McLean on drums, with Tedd Firth playing piano on two tracks. Tedd Firth also produced the album. Most of the arrangements are by Ron Drotos.

Juliet Ewing opens the album with "'S Wonderful," a song from Funny Face, delivering a snappy rendition to get things in motion. Wouldn't it be wonderful for this music to guide the world for a while? This version even includes drum solos, punctuated by delightful bits of scat. And when Juliet tells us, "My dear, it's four-leaf clover time" near the end, it feels like she is ushering us all into a wonderful dream. Is wonderful, indeed! That's followed by a medley of "Love Is Here To Stay" and "They Can't Take That Away From Me." "Love Is Here To Stay" feels perfect for these insane days, with its opening lines, "The more I read the papers/The less I comprehend/The world and all its capers/And how it all will end." It is the song's next couple of lines that especially speak to me: "Nothing seems to be lasting/But that isn't our affair." Everything is so brief, so fleeting, and so I've decided to focus on my own sweet love. A brief drum interlude leads into "They Can't Take That Away From Me." These two songs, from different movies, work quite well together. This track contains some really nice work on piano. And there is actually some defiance in the latter song, heard in these days when our poor country has embraced fascism, and freedoms and rights are being taken away. I'd love to see people dance right over the prone bodies of ICE agents.

It's funny how "I've Got A Crush On You" opens with a brazen bit of bragging: "How glad the many millions/Of Timothys and Williams would be/To capture me." It then focuses on the man, but even then there is a sense she might think she is better than him, with a line like "It's not that you're attractive." There is a reference to Romeo And Juliet in that first section. I love then when it gets into the main body of the song, how it takes on a beautiful late-night vibe, featuring some gorgeous and gentle work on piano. The mood gets lighter then on "Lady, Be Good," her version beginning with the chorus, cutting out that whole bit about the "tale of woe." No tale of woe here; instead, there is some delightful scat and a short drum solo. Yup, it's a cheerful rendition. Then "Slap That Bass" begins with bass, with Juliet soon coming in on vocals. These early lines make this song feel particularly timely: "The world is in a mess/With politics and taxes/And people grinding axes/There's no happiness." And, yes, music, can help, particularly a good bass line, as we get here. This rendition is just vocals and bass,and we are treated to a wonderful bass solo. "Misery, you've got to go," Juliet sings. And it seems that perhaps her voice might help usher that misery out of our lives. "Slap That Bass" was included in Crazy For You.

"But Not For Me" is a song from Girl Crazy, and was also included in Crazy For You. "They're writing songs of love," she sings at the beginning, and there is then a slight change in her voice as she finishes the line, "But not for me." This track features cheerful scat. I like how she creates her own joyful world with scat. There are some other playful touches, such as how she delivers the phrase "than any boring Russian play" toward the end. That's followed by "The Man I Love," which begins with some lovely work on piano. This is one of the tracks to feature Tedd Firth on piano. Tedd Firth also did the arrangement. "Someday he'll come along/The man I love." We can hear the yearning in her voice, the hope, and the certainty. What a wonderful and captivating vocal performance. We are carried along by her voice, joining her in her world, in her longing. The power in her voice as the song approaches its conclusion is remarkable. This track features just piano and vocals. "A Foggy Day" then begins with just piano and vocals. "The outlook was decidedly blue/But as I walked through the foggy streets alone/It turned out to be the luckiest day I've known." And then the song kicks in. "But the age of miracles hadn't passed/For suddenly I saw you there." Ah yes, meeting that one special person can change an entire city, an entire world. This track contains a cool instrumental section, and I'm especially digging that bass line.

"The Lorelei" is a playful one, and I love the way she adjusts her voice for it. There is certainly the actor in her voice, which is perfect, taking on the character of each song, heard especially in a song like this one. "And I can guarantee I'm full of passion/Like the Lorelei." Yes, no question. And she is adorable when she tells us, "I'm treacherous, yeah yeah/Oh, I just can't hold myself in check/I'm lecherous, yeah yeah/I want to bite my initials on a sailor's neck." This is the other track to feature Tedd Firth on piano. Then Juliet Ewing gives us "Embraceable You," another song from Girl Crazy that was also in Crazy For You. it's a beautiful song, and she does an excellent job with it. "Don't be a naughty baby/Come to mama, come to mama, do/My sweet embraceable you." I love that gentle work on piano, and when Juliet comes in with some soft "ooh" vocals. What a gorgeous section! And then they allow it to build, and it just gets better and better. This is one of my personal favorite tracks. It is followed by "Naughty Baby," a song that Juliet Ewing sang in that production of Crazy For You. She is absolutely delightful here, as she sings "Naughty baby, naughty baby, who will tease you/I can show the way, I know the way to please you" and "I can make a saint a sinner when I want to." I also like that she chose to follow a song with the line "Don't be a naughty baby" with the song "Naughty Baby." The two songs originally were in different musicals, though both ended up in Crazy For You.

This rendition of "I Got Rhythm" has a fun intro that begins on drums. This is another song that was in both Girl Crazy and Crazy For You. "I got my man/Who could ask for anything more?" I try to keep that in mind when I look around at all the things that I lack, try to keep that sort of attitude. This track features some good stuff on drums, as well as more scat. And there is a wonderful section toward the end where she sings, "I got drums," leading to a drum solo; and then "I got bass," leading to a cool lead on bass, backed by light touches on drums; and then "I got the keys," leading to some fantastic stuff on piano, backed by bass and drums. Oh man, I love this! What a great touch! She then wraps up the album with "Summertime," which begins with a rather somber tone, creating a dark atmosphere. Juliet comes in on vocals before beginning to deliver the lyrics, that vocal work adding to the atmosphere. And when she does begin to sing the lyrics, it is interesting, because the first word seems to come naturally from that atmosphere, a perfect segue. For the briefest of moments, we don't realize there is now an actual word. It is remarkable how she is able to do that. This is a beautiful, haunting rendition. She repeats "Don't you cry," and the power begins to build. And when she repeats, "You'll rise up singing," the music itself rises, and we feel ourselves likewise lifted by it, by her voice. This is an incredible rendition, another of the album's highlights.
 
CD Track List

1. 'S Wonderful
2. Love Is Here To Stay/They Can't Take That Away From Me
3. I've Got A Crush On You
4. Oh, Lady Be Good
5. Slap That Bass
6. But Not For Me
7. The Man I Love
8. A Foggy Day
9. The Lorelei
10. Embraceable You
11. Naughty Baby
12. I Got Rhythm
13. Summertime

Simple 'S Wonderful: The Magic Of Gershwin is scheduled to be released September 12, 2025 through Honey Diva Music and Lexicon Classics.

Randall Lamb: "High Hopes And Low Expectations" (2025) CD Review

High Hopes And Low Expectations, the title of the new album from singer and songwriter Randall Lamb, has got to be the most apt description of our outlook on things these days. It describes perfectly my state of mind, anyway, my strategy for dealing with the world. I can't help but remain hopeful, despite all the evidence suggesting that things are only going to get worse out there. And, hey, the lowest of expectations are being met daily by this nation's so-called leadership. Still, we have to keep going, don't we? Randall Lamb is a songwriter that I got turned onto back in the glory days of Fur Dixon & Steve Werner. They had quite a talented group of musicians in their circle. Randall Lamb is one of those great voices of southern California, a voice that is honest and true, and one I wish we'd hear from more often. As far as I'm aware, High Hopes And Low Expectations is his first release since 2017's Songs Of Freedom. This album contains all original material, and it is performed solo. That's right, friends, a real folk album, just vocals and guitar. It was produced and recorded by Ed Tree, whom you likely know from his work in the Tall Men Group, and with folks like David Serby and Mike Berman.

The album opens with its title track, "High Hopes And Low Expectations." This song begins with a question: "What can I say/That's not a worn-out cliche/In such a way/As to make it my own?" It's an interesting thought with which to begin an album, suggesting that all that follows is the answer. When I think of low expectations, I am generally expressing an attitude toward the population at large, but here he talks about low expectations regarding his own life and career, which is perhaps more doleful. Yet he actually makes it something positive, even spinning it with some humor. "Filled with doubt/Avoiding imitation/I got high hopes/Low expectations." This song is a few years old, Randall having introduced it online in January of 2022. "I try to be grateful/For what I got/I don't want to be/A big sensation/But I got high hopes/And low expectations." So, yeah, the song has a personal feel to it, and is about a songwriter's circumstances, but that doesn't mean it's not applicable to whatever we have going on in our own lives. "Keep an open mind/To what I hear and see/There might be a song/Out there looking for me."

He follows that with the playfully titled "Robert Frost And Yogi Berra Walking Down The Road/Life Goes On." The first lines of Robert Frost's most famous poem are "Two roads diverged in a yellow wood,/And sorry I could not travel both," while Yogi Berra is quoted as once having said, "When you come to a fork in the road, take it." So it is a joy to imagine these two walking along a road together. And, yes, they soon come to a fork in the road in this song. "And to this very day/History still remembers what they had to say." Randall Lamb offers several of those great Yogi Berra gems in this song. There is a sweet, innocent vibe to this song, just as there was an innocence to much of what Yogi had to say. Randall then begins "The Hudson River Song" with these lines: "On a train by the Hudson River/Tracks and river running side by side." That's a great image, isn't it? Two methods of travel, one man-made, one natural, both going in the same direction. This is a song about heading into nature, with him declaring he will not return to New York City, an idea which works so well with the pleasant, natural, and friendly folk vibe of this song. This track features some really nice work on guitar. This music makes me feel good, hopeful.

The first half of the title of "Singing Songs Around The Campfire Across The River From Mexico" reminds me of those back yard parties with Fur Dixon & Steve Werner, when folks would gather around the fire and trade songs. But that was in Van Nuys, and this song, the opening licks on guitar assure us, takes place some distance from there. "We drifted down to the Rio Grande/To watch the waters flow/We sang songs around the campfire/Across the river from Mexico." This song mentions Townes Van Zandt in its lyrics. Randall Lamb fits in that tradition with folks like Townes Van Zandt and Woody Guthrie and John Prine and Dave Van Ronk. "Trying to keep it all together/After so much time alone/Down below these canyon walls/I let my worries go/Singing songs around the campfire/Across the river from Mexico." Close your eyes, and let his voice and guitar take you there. That's followed by "Dust Devils Dancing By The Side Of The Road, " a song of the road, one with a lonesome vibe. "I like the way the light looks/As the sun goes down/Been a long time coming/I had to get away/I followed my loneliness/Down the lost highway." You can picture a man seated on some rocky outcrop, seen in silhouette as the earth darkens, looking out at the last light. The song has that feeling, and there is something so appealing in that. Then he sings, "Sometimes I just need to roam/Under open skies on an open road/'Til my mind gets right/And then I go back home." I assume we all need those moments. And maybe a lot of our unhappiness comes from us not getting them. So we turn to music as a way of being there without being there.

There is a lighter, more cheerful sound and attitude to "Plug Nickel." "Life is funny and life is fickle/I haven't done nothing worth a plug nickel/Sometimes I just sit around, waiting for rain," he sings at the beginning. It is a song about being a songwriter, at least partly. But it is about a lot more than that. Check out these lines: "Sometimes life lets you choose/Sometimes it's over before you get the news/I guess that's what they mean by 'That's how it goes'/You got your future, and you got your past/None of them are meant to last/And the here and now go by in the blink of an eye." Indeed. This song came out of the pandemic, about a year after it started. "Put your head out the window, let me tell you the news/Everybody's walking around with the blues/A heart full of soul, and a head full of pain." Ah, those lines ring true now too. This is one of my favorites. It's followed by "Thoughts And Prayers." Whenever I hear someone offer thoughts and prayers to the families of victims of gun violence, I want to tear that person to pieces. Guns are the problem, and anyone who says otherwise is part of that problem. There will always be crazy people, depressed people, unhinged people. We have to keep the guns out of their hands. We have to make guns incredibly difficult to obtain. Of course another problem is a lack of true compassion among the nation's leadership. Didn't you think after the first group of school children were killed that strict new laws would be implemented immediately? I did. I was so wrong. Now I have low expectations. "Thoughts and prayers/That's what you give/Make 'em think you care/When there's nothing there/You give thoughts and prayers." This song states its case gently and simply, without screaming, without swearing, something that is tough to do, I think.

"Ghosts And Memories" is also about songwriting, and not doing it for money or fame. "I'm writing to have a song to sing/A song with something to say/Something that's been on my mind/Try to get it before it slips away." I don't think Randall Lamb ever lacks something important to say. We hear it in the songs of this album. Just take the previous track, for example. This song's final lines are particularly striking: "I'm writing for the ghosts and the memories/That we meet as we're passing through." The album concludes with "So Far So Good," a song with an uplifting sound, with a playful bent. "I was driving/Just to get away/To get away from what/I cannot say." I think most of us can relate to those lines. "I thought I left my troubles/So far behind/But I was too busy leaving/To care what I would find." He then changes from "I" to "we": "We're on a road that has no beginning and no end." Yes, we are all involved in this thing. I love how Randall Lamb ends this album with a hopeful song. We still have to have those high hopes, right? "Nothing ever turns out like I thought it would/But so far so good."

CD Track List

1. High Hopes And Low Expectations
2. Robert Frost And Yogi Berra Walking Down The Road/Life Goes On
3. The Hudson River Song
4. Singing Songs Around The Campfire Across The River From Mexico
5. Dust Devils Dancing By The Side Of The Road
6. Plug Nickel
7. Thoughts And Prayers
8. Ghosts And Memories
9. So Far So Good

High Hopes And Low Expectations was released on July 1, 2025.

Henhouse Prowlers: "Unravel" (2025) CD Review

Henhouse Prowlers have been together for a couple of decades now, delivering delicious bluegrass music to not only enthusiastic audiences in this country, but to folks around the world. Having begun the Bluegrass Ambassadors project in 2013, this group fosters cultural exchanges between the U.S. and other nations. This is probably even more important now, when our own country has earned the distrust and enmity of other nations because of its dubious, twisted, criminal leadership. Our music might just be what reminds other countries that we're not all horrible people here. The band's new album, Unravel, contains mostly original material, along with one cover (an interesting and well-timed choice), with each of the four musicians contributing material. The band is made up of Ben Wright on banjo and vocals, Jon Goldfine on bass and vocals, Chris Dollar on guitar and vocals, and Jake Howard on mandolin and vocals. The album was produced, engineered and mixed by Stephen Mougin.

"I don't know what comes after this" is the first line of "Look Up To The Sky." It's an interesting opening line, and an honest one."In my life, anyway," Chris Dollar then adds, moving it to a more personal level. Ah, but does any of us? The older I get, the more I'm convinced that no one knows anything. "All I know is I want you here," he then sings, another line we can relate to. He then adds, "For the duration, anyway." I love those little additions, those added thoughts. Chris Dollar wrote this song. It's a sweet number featuring some nice work on banjo, and a really good, though also really short, lead on guitar near the end. "That sun will arise/That fire will subside." The second track, "Palomino," also mentions fire: "These days the California highways are always on fire." Lyrics about fire probably stand out even more to those of us living in the Los Angeles area than usual. "I've got to get out of here, I've got to get out of here/The smoke's making it harder to breathe." Fire weighs heavily on the minds of many people in this area, and I hope as the 4th of July approaches that people will be smart regarding the use of fireworks (but I'm not optimistic about that). This is a pretty song that gently grabs us, and features moving vocal work. It was written by Jake Howard and Carolyn Brittin Kendrick.

Ben Wright wrote "Line The Avenues," and sings lead on it. Check out these lyrics: "All the training in the world/Won't shake off the impending dread/The old fan on the ceiling/Is nothing to fight the heat/And the sweat rolls down their faces/As they're given the morning brief." The verses introduce us to different characters of different times, all times of war. And then, after an excellent instrumental section, the song switches to the first person, but still talks about the past, which is interesting. I suppose there will always be wars, because humanity has really not progressed much at all. The feelings are always the same. And so it is the song's final lines that are the most striking: "So I see things different now/When I read the headline news/Every time they say we won/I wonder what we lose." Then "Headin' For A Heartache" has a somewhat lighter, more fun vibe from the start, though the lyrics are about a man "heading for a heartache." It was written by Jon Goldfine and Rick Lang, and Jon takes lead vocals duties (no, it is not a cover of the Juice Newton song). This song gives the album its title in the lines, "It's about to unravel/More than he can handle." There is a bluesy element to this song. The band then gets further into the blues with "Too Little, Too Late," which begins with these lines: "I'm sad, I'm blue/I don't know what to do/You've gone away/To where, I've no clue." This one was written by Chris Dollar, who also sings lead. This track features a particularly good vocal performance, along with some great harmonies. The vocal work is a large part of this track's appeal, helping to make it one of the disc's highlights.

"Love And War" is an intriguing song, the unusual sound and vibe in that first section drawing us in. The track then takes on more of a normal feel for the chorus, which is the repeated line "All is fair in love and war," a line that comes from an 1850 novel, but in a slightly different form was written by a poet nearly three hundred years earlier. This song was written by Jake Howard and Brenna Carroll. That's followed by "Three Seasons," written by Chris Dollar. At the beginning of the album's first track, Chris sang, "I don't know what comes after this," and this one he begins by singing, "Shadows come and go/Don't nobody know just where they go/I wish I knew." Uncertainty is certainly in the air these days. What does any of us really know? "Help me see where the lines are drawn." There is a bright energy to this track, and it contains a wonderful lead on mandolin. That is then followed by a song titled "Space Man." I guess it's clear where my mind is, because I expected this song to be about Red Sox pitcher Bill Lee. Well, it's a fun, playful number, its playfulness apparent from the start, with those vocals shouting "Huh." This one is sung from the perspective of a "man on a mission to outer space." "I've got a one-way ticket on this rocket/On this rocket I ride." And here some certainty is expressed: "When I'm floating through the spaceship/I never know my way around/But there's one thing I'm certain of/And that's how to get down." Wonderful! This one was written by Jake Howard and Brenna Carroll, and is another highlight.

"Poor Boy Like Me" is a love song, written by Jon Goldfine and Rick Lang. Here Jon sings, "I still find it hard to believe/That she could ever fall for/A poor boy like me." But interestingly, before that, he sings, "There's no telling what lies in store," another line expressing uncertainty, clearly a theme of sorts, not just on this album, but in all our lives. And check out that guitar work. So good! The band follows that with "Climb The Mountain." Right at the start, you can sense that this one is going to build up into something special, with strength, with passion, with power. Sure, danger might lie ahead, but there is a sense of resilience here, which is something we need. "Clouds are darkening in the distance/Lightning splits the night to day." This is one of my personal favorites. It was written by Chris Dollar. "Time will pass, whatever happens."

"Honey Will You Be Mine" is the album's final original composition, written by Jon Goldfine and Rick Lang. It's a love song, telling the story of a couple, the first verse relating the beginning of their relationship. The chorus has a wonderfully cheerful vibe. The second verse then jumps ahead many years: "They tried to make each moment last/As their hair turned shades of grey." Things get sadder from there, detailing the end, and not one you'd might expect, with one holding the other's hand. "His true love in the hospital/Didn't make it there on time/Didn't get to say goodbye." Oh man, that is heartrending. But the song doesn't end there, and there is a positive feel at the end. The album then concludes with its sole cover, "Land Of Confusion." Yes, the Genesis song. While at first, that might seem a strange choice, once you begin paying attention to its lyrics (it had been so long since I last heard it), it makes total sense. "Now did you read the news today/They say the danger's gone away/But I can see the fires still alight/They're burning into the night." Yes, fire is mentioned again. "And not much love to go round/Can't you see this is the land of confusion." Yup, that right there is the long and the short of it. I wasn't a big fan of this song when it first came out, but this rendition is making me appreciate it more. "Use them, and let's start trying/To make this a place worth living in."

CD Track List

1. Look Up To The Sky
2. Palomino
3. Line The Avenues
4. Headin' For A Heartache
5. Too Little, Too Late
6. Love And War
7. Three Seasons
8. Space Man
9. Poor Boy Like Me
10. Climb The Mountain
11. Honey Will You Be Mine
12. Land Of Confusion

Unravel was released on April 18, 2025 through Dark Shadow Recording.