Andrew Gabbard “Glum & Empty” – in a bad place now

Photot: Mitch LaGrow

There’s something of an “After the Goldrush” feel to this latest release from Andrew Gabbard, the feeling of a melancholic collapse coupled with an accompaniment that almost isn’t there – it’s distracted, thinking of something else, worrying about wider problems.  Not that Andrew Gabbard is short of concerns as he sing of “lonesome ways…redefine my lonesome days, I look into space, cannot hide my lonesome face.

Andrew Gabbard is a busy musician, being guitarist and vocalist for Cincinnati-based Thee Shams and the Buffalo Killers.  He writes songs for them as well.  And he currently serves as one half of the Gabbard Brothers, and performs as a touring guitarist for The Black Keys, and records his own music at home.  Busy.

His new album, ‘Cedar City Sweetheart‘, is, he says, a rock band making a country album – drawing inspiration from The Byrds which is always a good thing to do.  Where his debut solo album ‘Homemade’ was just Gabbard playing everything for the new record he pulled together a band for the new album which made for a very different experience: “I invited a lot of friends to play on this record. Originally, I didn’t have access to much recording equipment. I tracked my parts with an iPhone. My friends recorded their parts professionally, so I was able to piece it together and take another stab at recording the core of each song.  It’s almost like a remastered album to me, but it’s all new.

About Jonathan Aird 2508 Articles
Sure, I could climb high in a tree, or go to Skye on my holiday. I could be happy. All I really want is the excitement of first hearing The Byrds, the amazement of decades of Dylan's music, or the thrill of seeing a band like The Long Ryders live. That's not much to ask, is it?

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