I've been working hard on a third album this fall and winter. All of the songs have been written and are currently well into production, and I'm loving how it has come together. Here's what to expect:
- There will be nine songs. They are intentionally simple sounding in chord structure and arrangement, with a focus on story and feel. Only one was ever played in the BDB, and then I think only once very late at night. The oldest song was written in 2020 and posted on YouTube (now removed). Seven were written in 2023 and haven't been heard or performed.
- It's 95% acoustic, and may be 100% by the time it's done. This is a big switch. After a very loud experience in the rock band, it has been refreshing to spend time in the world of natural resonance. Expect acoustic guitar, banjo, upright bass, accordion (sometimes organ), piano, cajon, shaker and tambourine.
- It's me on every instrument and voice. I don't know whether to take a bow or apologize for that, but another thing I needed to take a break from was coordinating other musicians and begging them to record. Plus, I'm fortunate enough to be able to play all this stuff myself--so why not? Also, it's free. It's also self-produced. And I'm mixing it myself. And this Fall and Winter I just needed to be alone, because also…
- This album returns to the dark side--it's essentially a break-up album that's about being alone. Before you freak out, please note: my wife and I have never been happier together and it's not about that! For God's sake. As with all songs (at least mine), these draw from and try to make sense of the world we're all witnessing and experiencing, just as a fiction author might do, with plenty of metaphor. 2024 is going to be a year to pull from within, and this album is aware of that, and more. I'm all in creatively. But still, while it may be dark, it's not depressing. There's a sweetness, romance and even a comedy to many of the songs, maybe even a little thrill. It ain't no brooding teenage drama. Speaking of ain'ts…
- It probably ain't country either, at least purely. Most songs would be called folk, but some are still country. There's also some sea shanty. One blues. Whatever. You know what I sound like--it sounds like that.
- There's a nod to opera in it. While a contemporary album in opera voice would sound silly, I can't escape that opera has been the central theme of my music world in this past year (start here for that story). Some of my past songs have featured conversations between front of mind and back of mind (Way It Is, Rodeo Man, In California), but in this album that tension is more about voice, with contemporary singing taking the foreground and more operatic singing in harmony or accent vocals on some songs. It's unusual, subtle, but I think it works.
- It's never clear when an album will be finished, but at the current pace I'd say maybe spring, possibly summer. It would be next month if this were my full-time job.
- The songs are all arranged in a way that they could performed live, and I hope to pull together a special band to perform two or three release shows. More on that later.
- Cathedral introduced a very spiritual theme, and this one continues it. The thumbnail image of this blog post is a clue as to the direction and title.
-Bryan