There is no slowing down Lance Cowan as he releases another fine set of story songs.
Lance Cowan hails from West Kentucky. Songwriting and singing mark the third phase of his working life. Originally employed as a journalist for a weekly newspaper, then a publicist, it was only a short jump to honing his craft as a songwriter. His excellent first album, So Far, So Good, released in 2024, was followed a year later with the critically acclaimed Against The Grain. Continuing to write, Cowan’s third release in three years once again hits the mark and is a strong set of eleven cuts.
What stands out in the songs is Cowan’s ability to weave a story and keep your attention. The music is no-frills americana, occasionally bordering on country and with one track dipping more than a toe in the easy-listening pool. The stories don’t always have a conclusion, which adds to the jeopardy and drama. Where’d They Go tells a tale of neighbours who disappear, leaving only their fretting, barking canine. What happens? Will they arrive home late from a dash to the hospital or not return at all? Cowan leaves it all up to you. It feels like a song about community and looking out for others. The Road is along similar lines in that there is no conclusion. The desperation of a man trying to raise a family with no source of regular income. Cowan sings, “Never felt so alone / staring down that road”. He takes his gun to the convenience store, passing the factory where he used to work before the jobs were outsourced elsewhere. We are left feeling helpless and concerned that desperation may turn into a violent act and things will only get worse. The song leaves our subject sat outside the store about to make the next move. Drive home, friend, turnaround and drive home.
The title track has a plaintive guitar opening with gliding piano accompaniment. It is not clear if the words relate to anybody in particular, but it paints a picture of a local hero who everyone thought would make it and become a star. There is no jealousy in the words, no judgement, just the fact that the person did as expected.
William Cooper Smith is an out-and-out country song; it feels like a ride through the prairie and is impressive. There is a sad finality about the words, portraying the life of a lawman who takes others’ lives in the line of duty and finds living with the fact gruelling. The impression is unsettling as Cowan sings, “The road is long and winding / From the cradle to the grave / When the good lord finally calls you / All you take is your name.” This one does have an ending as that disconcerting feeling is realised.
Cowan’s mission is to tell the truth as he states, “I read an interview with Paul Simon a few years ago where he said, essentially, that songwriters have an obligation to be truth-telling reporters of what’s happening around them“. Cowan achieves this on Close To The Truth with its minor-key piano almost drifting into Randy Edelman territory for a moment, before lamenting the dangerous times we are living in and the futile nature of war.
Cowan has put together another fine collection of songs covering subjects old and new in different ways. On occasion, there is despair, as with the breakup song When He Was Here, when all that is left are memories from a relationship gone wrong. The opening line is pure genius and sets the scene perfectly in nine words. “He got the new car / She got his kids“. Cowan writes songs we can all identify with either from the outside or from personal experience. At times, it can be challenging, but it will still keep you interested to the final note.
