High class, country leaning Americana.
Bob Sumner’s 2019 debut album ‘Wasted Love Songs’ was a much-loved thing on this website. Described as a “thing of beauty” it covered the classic themes of love, loss, loneliness and being worn down by the world. It has taken a while, but Sumner has now followed that impressive debut with another lovingly crafted piece of Americana. ‘Some Place To Rest Easy’ is an album that leans heavily in the direction of country, but Sumner’s country is not one of pick-up trucks and beer runs. His is an interpretation of country that brings subtlety and understated musicianship, songs that touch on the loss of multiple loved ones to alcoholism. Losses that hold particular weight for Sumner, who left behind his own problematic path with drinking after a serious health diagnosis two years ago.
It seems trite to state that ‘Someplace To Rest Easy’ does exactly what it says on the label but, it really does. Sumner’s is a voice born to sing country. Never forced or strained, his vocals add gravitas to any lyric. Strings sit alongside tasteful synth tracks; dobro and steel guitar bring out the country. It is a melding of eras, sounds, concepts, and stylings woven together to form an album that oozes warmth and feeling.
Picking out highlights in an album that offers up no end of options is a thankless task. Perhaps better then to select two songs that offer up, as if in miniature, what the album is all about. At one end of the spectrum, we have an example of how Sumner can wring the emotion out of a ballad. ‘You Can Stay Here’ is a beautiful song, both in lyric and in delivery. Minimal piano accompaniment here allows those vocals to shine.
In contrast ‘Lonesome Sound’ ups the tempo and takes the country twang to the max. But, and perhaps because this is music that emanates from Vancouver, Canada rather than the country conveyor belt that is Nashville, Tennessee, the song signifies how good country music can be when in the right hands. Even on ‘Motel Room’, a track highlighted a few weeks ago on these pages, the sad story of a friend’s descent into alcoholism is still delivered in an upbeat style that brings a bit of levity to a sad story told.
Sumner’s is a nuanced approach to the sensitive topics he addresses on the album. Regardless of delivery style or tempo, if country is your preferred Americana leaning then ‘Someplace To Rest Easy’ will not disappoint.
