A reflective collection of inspired songs produced by the legendary bassist Dave Schools from Widespread Panic.
Singer-songwriter Jeff Crosby describes this, his seventh studio album, as “the sound of a 36-year-old musician/traveller and his band from the Pacific Northwest wading through a mid-life crisis post-pandemic while also falling in love again, attempting to come to terms with a horrible breakup and avoiding inevitable sobriety…I think getting older and realising I’ve been at this for twenty years was somewhat heavy on my mind while writing this group of songs“, he muses.Of producer Dave Schools, known for playing a 6-string bass with Widespread Panic, Crosby says he has never worked with a producer “quite as hands-on as Schools” and credits him with making this album stand out from his others by encouraging him to move away from his usual habits.
Opener “Out in the Country” – a reworked song from his 2014 album “All Nighter” – has a refreshing sound with Crosby straight out of the blocks, demonstrating his superb guitar playing and gritty yet soothing vocal quality. The blues-rock cadence paying homage to his hometown of Idaho with a nostalgic tone. The title track follows with a musically full sound and a distinct vulnerability as it explores the passage of time and a potentially wasted youth with the moving lines “Don’t tell me to enjoy it… it just makes me… wonder if the best part of me’s already passed…another day is gone, another petal falls off of the rose, another year has passed, another petal falls off of the rose“. So heartrending.
Throughout the album, themes of change, disillusionment, and introspection are explored through vivid narratives and emotional reflections. Not least in “Silver Lining“, which has a gentle, questioning, almost anthemic feel, with the last line of the chorus repeating, “Keep mining for a silver lining.”
The album peaks in the middle with two incredibly stunning songs: “In the Shadows” and “A Memory and a Dream“. In the former, with its beautiful intro and a Springsteen feel to the lyrics, Crosby reflects on the pain of love and the jealousy of past lovers, summing up his feelings with the beautiful, heart-wrenching chorus “And you’re up all night / wondering if it’s all worth the fight… Yeah, it’s all right / A heart can break over a thousand times / pick up the pieces and close your eyes…” So sublimely dreamy.
“A Memory and a Dream” follows this time with perhaps a Teenage Fanclub vibe. With a comforting, contemplative melody, it lays everything bare—loneliness, despair, and helplessness. It recognises that everyone has their struggles to deal with as well as a desire to control their own destiny and wonders, with such a moving sentiment, if when “Lost and alone / at the end of the road… will you still know the difference between a memory and a dream?”
“Lose Ya” begins with Crosby humming in a thoughtful mood and cleverly captures universal feelings of disillusionment that are often not easily articulated, as we “try sugar-coating everything“, living through a facade of happiness. In “Jokes on Me“, paranoia seeps through, and a lack of confidence and a questioning of identity are apparent. The title suggests uncertainty and a potential irony in understanding life and suggests that what we think we know might be far from the truth. Again, these uncomfortable but often common feelings are being sympathetically explored.
Closing with “Don’t Wanna Die Young“, it’s as if Crosby has now exorcised his demons, perhaps through writing the album. The song has a meaningful message about closing the chapter on reckless behaviour and choosing to live life with intention and purpose.
“Another Petal Falls off the Rose” is a reflective and, as the title alludes to, emotionally charged album. It is splendidly played and musically comforting as each song offers a poignant reflection on personal struggles and a quest for meaning, making the album a cohesive exploration of life’s uncertainties and the resilience required to navigate them.
Crosby is touring this album extensively in the US, but it would be great if he brought it across the pond in the not-too-distant future.
