Roots rock meets modern musings.
An album conceived in such a short period of time is bound to be a musical curiosity, and the story behind this one is fascinating. Each morning, at the Bathouse Recording Studio in Ontario, a member of the band would play a song they wrote and it would later be recorded that same day with the whole band. Led by intuition alone, “Dreams and Second Chances” is the culmination of that creative unity.
Skydiggers have been around since 1987 and maintained a revolving cast of members. This album, which includes original members Josh Finlayson and Andy Maize, represents a new era for the band and is their first full-length LP since 2019. “Dreams and Second Chances” draws upon the anxiety that seems to permeate contemporary culture, anxiety that spiked back in 2020 and has been pouring water on a drowning man ever since. The title track speaks to that unbearable feeling of helplessness amidst macro levels of pain worldwide. “I feel all the sadness in this world / That any boy or girl should have to live in fear”.
Worry is a mosquito tone throughout the album, perceptible to those adapted to hear it. Grappling with mortality in ‘Chase the Sun’, they wonder “How many summers will we get to steal?” How much time does any of us really have left? ‘We Just Carry On’ echoes the same question as they reminisce over a lost loved one – “How were we to know time would let you go?”.
Vocalist Jessy Bell Smith’s features throughout provide a refreshing bit of bluegrass. ‘Broken Year’ has that plaintive weep that so many country legends evoked decades before. Smith’s voice transports the album to the Grand Ole Opry stage, providing an entirely new setting.
Where the album loses its footing slightly is the disjunction in sound and theme. Songs like ‘Light on the Water’ give the listener whiplash, sounding more like the lotus eaters’ baptismal chant in ‘O Brother, Where Art Thou.’ Especially right before the track that follows, ‘I Love You, Too, Maybe…’, which has the wonderful ambiguity of every great country song: a narrator that may or may not be alive. “Mouthful of dirt, heart full of hurt” and “I want to love you from the inside out” sound like the words of someone who has been buried. Revenants and musings on the state of the world might not always go hand-in-hand.
Yet these performances arose organically each day the band had booked the studio, which speaks to the spontaneity and natural understanding between members. The band is at their very best when you can hear all their artistic visions converging: ‘Quiet Mind’ features many of the bandmates’ voices and summarises the album’s thesis, we’re all seeking some peace from the noise.
It seems Skydiggers have found that peace with each other. They’re in it for the love of the game, sarcastically celebrating the ups and downs of being a professional musician: “It’s all good, all the time,” Andy Maize sings on the last track, “We’ve got songs to sing and merch to sell / Trust yourself, ‘cause no one else will”. Despite the fear and worry, the band rocks on as the album joyfully fades out. Life may not be all good, all the time, yet we endure.
