I am always happy when I can feature a recurring artist. I first introduced you to Eric Brace last February both as an artist interview and of his album Riverland. In that interview, I asked Eric what his next project was going to be after Riverland.
I haven’t thought for a moment about the next album. I’ve been too busy trying to learn the chords to this one. And that’s the truth. Many of my songs seem to be about baseball, but Thomm doesn’t understand or appreciate baseball, so that’ll be a hard sell. Maybe we’ll do a Kickstarter campaign to send Thomm to some kind of baseball school, then do a really swell album of baseball songs.
In fact, according to a recent post on the websiteEric wasn't looking to release another Last Train Home album. The last one was in 2009, a compilation of six songs. They were cover tunes he'd always loved. (I'll share a video with playlist at the end of this review). Follow that website link to get his thoughts on each of the tracks of this new CD.
As I listened, I heard a familiarity that can only come from someone who I would consider a connoisseur of not only Folk and Americana music, but every genre out there. He knows how to take what he enjoys from each of those and blend them into something magical and cohesive. Eric is also blessed with close friends who see his vision and bring their own unique traits to the mix.
When I listen to this album I hear so many different influences as well as a bit of wanderlust. Not since the late John Hartford have I heard so much emotion about movement and the romance of the transportation involved, whatever the vehicle. I think John would have been a huge fan of what Eric Brace creates.
My favorite track is probably Distance and Time. I'd love to have you comment below and tell me what you like once you get the album.
Eric Brace & Last Train Home: Daytime Highs & Overnight Lows releases January 31, 2020
I'm tipping my hat:
Connect with Eric Brace through the following links
Welcome to another year in KellysCountry. Thanks for hanging with me while I got some life things in order. I'm almost there.
KellysCountry will return in full next week beginning with Turntable Tuesday. We'll be spinning a CD by Eric Brace & Last Train Home. I think you're going to love this CD.
What's new in 2020?
The Other Half... (or something to that affect)
We'll be talking with the 'better half'' of some of your favorite country artists as well as those who make the wheels turn. You're going to love our first guest coming in February!
Until then, keep listening and supporting Country Music!
RIVERLAND,
the sophomore album from Eric Brace, Peter Cooper and Thomm Jutz is a true
piece of Americana music.
This album
hits close to home for me. As I write this review, my husband, a riverboat
captain, has been gone for three weeks. He will likely be out another two. He
has been on the river for thirty-seven years. With the exception of a short
stint on the Arkansas, he has always worked on the Upper Illinois/ canals. But
no matter what river you’re on, there’s a bond. The work is hard, the weather
can be harsh and the water unforgivable. Still, there are men like my husband
who can’t imagine working anywhere else. You are either a river rat or you’re a
lander.
There is a
magic in this album. From the step off into River City to Mississippi, Rest My Soul
you’ll find yourself caught up in the picturesque view of the boats making
their way along the Mississippi River. You’ll feel the weariness of the crew
stepping back on land after a long twelve hours (or more) of back-breaking
labor hauling lines and torquing wrenches. You’ll understand why the Captain
seldom takes off his shades. The sun’s glare reflecting off the rippling water –
directly into his line of sight as he stresses over the safety of his crew
while making time up… time lost due to hitches like a lock delay, ice or fog
shut out.
All rivers
carry their own story but the Mississippi is special. From stories of survival
passed down through generations, to its place in the Civil War. This river has
seen racial strife from slavery to segregation. Brace, Cooper and Jutz, with
the help of some friends bear the river’s soul on fourteen tracks.
I’ve always
believed an album should have a core that, like the hub, that the individual
tracks feed from. RIVERLAND has a core the stories and reminiscences radiate
from, allowing the tunes to roll seamlessly from one to the other, flowing much
smoother than the river they embody.
Two tracks
have a flavor of their own. Southern Mule will have you tapping your toes while
Old Tom T (Hall) and Brother Will D. (Campbell) tells the story of a friendship
most of us never knew about. Thomm provides the voice for Tom T. Hall and Peter
walks in the voice of Will D. Campbell
I’ve
listened to this CD at least twice a day since opening up the album. Part of
the time I’m missing my husband, but then I’m reminded his job, in a lot of
ways, is much easier than of river men past. The dangers are still there but
like others before him and those that ride the river today, he works hard on a
job a lot of men can’t handle to make a living for us.
Today, I
dedicate this review to my husband, Captain Bob Henkins of the Illinois
Michigan Oil company and the deckhands who entrust their safety to him every
time they fire up the engines.
To all the
men and women out on the rivers… Be Safe.
This is an album that belongs on the 2019 Best list, for sure. I'm tipping my hat:
I'm kicking off the 2019 Out of the Chute with a little something different. We have a trio that does not sport a 'group' name but their individuality comes together beautifully on their Sophmore album I'll be reviewing tomorrow. Interviewing these guys was a lot of fun.
Let's open the gate!
The detail sheet states this was a suspect
idea. Where did the idea originate?
Eric and Thomm were hanging out in Natchez,
Mississippi, thinking about history and soul, and they arrived at the notion of
doing an album of songs that deal with life along the river. That’s the short
answer, though it’s also true that we’re pretty well obsessed with John
Hartford, the great songwriter and performer and riverboat pilot. And Mark
Twain is a huge influence on us. All these things seemed to point to something
muddy and watery and soulful.
You each have a strong footing in the music
industry. What made this album different from your first one… to each of you?
This was the first time as a trio that we
delved fully into history for a themed album, though I think it’s clear in
these songs that history informs the present. I think the subject matter sets
it apart, both from our past works (plays?) and from much of what’s going on
out there in singer-songwriter world. The liner notes and photos included in
the booklet make for our most interesting packaging and, hopefully, give folks
a reason not just to download or stream. Though we’re cool with people
listening any way they prefer to listen.
There have been some great reviews of this
album but Charlie Worsham gave a deep, heartfelt review of the album. What was
your first reaction to reading those words?
Charlie Worsham has devoted his life to
helping people — particularly young people in rural Mississippi — understand
the ways that music and history can be transformative. So to get his approval
was heartening, and maybe necessary. Had he called bullshit on us — three
people who are not from the Magnolia State — making an album like this, I would
have wanted to re-think our motivations and our execution. He’s younger than we
are, but he’s also an example and an inspiration and a hell of a musician.
Through his charitable foundation and through the wood and wire of his guitar,
he’s doing special things. If you don’t believe me, ask Vince Gill or Marty
Stuart. But why wouldn’t you believe me? I’m a totally honest fellow.
The contents of this album are
thought-provoking, a bit of a history lesson with a dash of editorial. You’ve
blended everything seamlessly. Were there any specific techniques you used to
get where you were going?
Eric and I both leaned on Thomm for
songwriting and production direction. Thomm is a remarkable guy, with his
incredible knowledge of history and music and what I recognize (he’ll argue) as
an absolute mastery of the acoustic guitar. For the most part, we’d get
together with Thomm and he’d often have melodic and thematic ideas, and then
we’d help flesh those out. Then we’d blend voices and see who should be singing
what and how things could best work. I’d say Thomm is the most underrated force
in American music, except that might technically mean that he is the least
rated force, which would mean he’s not a force at all. But, damn, he’s a force.
Riverland isn’t just an album, but a
documentary of both lyrics and the stories. What was your thought behind adding
the booklet?
If it were up to me and I lived in a better
and more convenient world, all our music would be on vinyl and would contain
voluminous liner notes. But albums are heavy and hard to carry around, and
these things get expensive. I believe it was Eric’s idea to go forward with an
extended booklet for the CD, and I was thrilled about that. If we’re going to
have folks download albums for $10 on iTunes and stream things at no cost, it
seems imperative to give people a reason to purchase physical copies of the
compact disc. I feel like sound quality should be enough of a reason, but it’s
usually not these days (sigh). Most of all, context informs the musical
listening experience. The more context we can give, the better. That’s why liner
notes, and interviews, are meaningful.
Was there anything you wish you’d done
differently or incorporated?
Unlike most every other thing that I do
every day of my life, I’d have done nothing different with this album. Wait,
I’d have slept more the night before our photo shoot, so my eyes wouldn’t be
baggy and I could appeal to young people.
What do you hope people carry with them
after hearing this album?
I hope people enjoy the melodies and the
harmonies and the musicianship. But I also hope they’ll want to learn more
about characters like Will D. Campbell and Mike Fink. These are people who did
things differently, with good and sometimes frustrating reason. I hope people
listen to Will Campbell’s “Mississippi Magic,” which is a summation of what a
friend of mine called Will’s “scandalous gospel.” He believed that everyone,
even people whose routines involve hate and violence and bigotry, is worthy of
love and concern. I don't live out that scandalous gospel, but I think about it
a lot, arm-wrestling with Will’s ghost on sleepless nights.
Riverland is going to be a tough act to
follow. Can you give a hint as to what direction you want to go with the next album?
I haven’t thought for a moment about the
next album. I’ve been too busy trying to learn the chords to this one. And
that’s the truth. Many of my songs seem to be about baseball, but Thomm doesn’t
understand or appreciate baseball, so that’ll be a hard sell. Maybe we’ll do a
Kickstarter campaign to send Thomm to some kind of baseball school, then do a really
swell album of baseball songs.
