Honky tonk country vibes and a personal journey.
Describing himself as an alt-country artist, St Louis native Adam Gaffney has actually created an album that is full of real country songs, sounding like they’ve come straight from a barroom or dance hall.
Product of Another Sad Song is clearly an extremely personal journey for Gaffney, as it holds stories of the loss of his mother, and his own battle to overcome alcohol use, as well as reflecting on love lost and found. If that all sounds like it may be a little intense and hard going, fear not! This is music that is frequently up-tempo, joyous and toe-tapping. Heavy on honky tonk piano and pedal steel that dances around the tunes as much as it weeps, the comparison to a modern-day Buck Owens makes total sense.
Musically, tracks like Pinch Me and Lay Me Down have an early Flying Burrito Brothers feel, while Crying For You could have been in the Willie Nelson canon. Nomad nicely captures the joys and frustrations of being a working musician in times that don’t necessarily offer the opportunities. It’s a rollicking ride with some lovely harmonica and a feel-good melody.
There are four spoken-word pieces which act as a nice contrast to the songs. Two are written by Gaffney and two by “local legend” Fred Friction. Friction has a brilliant, gravelly, ancient voice, not dissimilar to the likes of Sam Elliott or Guy Clark. It harks back to the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, who used vocal interludes to great effect back in the 70s.
If there is a criticism, it is a very mild one. With thirteen songs and four poems, and clocking in at just under an hour, there might have been a case for some judicious pruning to make a more manageable listening experience. But the songs all stand up as individual pieces, so in these days of streaming and playlists, that may not be an issue.
This is a very enjoyable record, with some deeply personal songs wrapped in some classic country music. If you like your music straight from the barroom, this is for you.
