If you’re a fan of Americana music, there’s a lot to like about this new album from The Lowtimers. It brings together elements of country, storytelling folk, and mid-century American rock music. The overall energy of the album gives a hat tip to the past with a contemporary production style that resonates well.
“Flesh and Bone” has some rather descriptive lyrics that capture the listener right away. The overall style feels like vintage rock n’ roll, complete with some doo-wop singers that make the mood of the track. “Thunderstorms” has a nice easy going tempo with a great electric guitar part that creates just the right highlights to make the song stand out. The key lyric is about “thunderstorms of pain” and the unsettling feeling of heartbreak. It has a sort of Mavericks quality to it.
“Sleazy” feels like a country-meets-blues anthem that will appeal to fans of styles from Charlie Daniels to John Prine. If you like those ambling, storytelling country anthems there’s a lot to like on this one. The line “it ain’t easy bein’ sleazy but it sure beats working in the factory” is such a Prine line that I had to look up and make sure this wasn’t a cover. That’s pretty dang high praise in these circles.
The title track “Cracks” has a harmonica that absolutely sings in the opening, introducing an opening for an acoustic guitar and vocal that feels a lot like Blaze Foley. The unhurried style of the song works really well on this one; it has a sittin’-on-the-porch-without-a-care vibe to it that I dig. It’s a heartbreak song about keepin’ on, no matter what life brings your way. The following “New Friends” has a nice toe-tapping rhythm to it and another great acoustic part. The vocal line has a Prine-meets-Childers energy to it and I definitely dig it. It’s an introvert’s anthem about not wanting to meet new friends, just wanting to go home with your love. It’s a tongue-in-cheek reflection on leaving the party and drinking life to settle down into domestication (or at least, that’s how I hear it).
“Tired Mind” is a duo song with a different sort of intimacy in the recording. It feels like sitting around with friends singing together. The following “Charlotte” takes on a more complex rhythmic structure and has an almost Buffet-like expressiveness. The line, “I’m drinking in the graveyard and I’m calling out your name tonight” is fantastic and captures the sentiment of grief quite well. Here’s hoping if this song resonates with you that you can reach out to friends or loved ones for help; it’s sad, but a good step toward healing is to step toward the people who can care for you when you are at a low.
The penultimate track is “Here and Gone,” an introspective tune with some solid storytelling lines. This feels like a genuine country song, complete with just the right mix of clever lines and understated pop philosophy. It’s about how you can’t wait to leave and then feel bad that you can never return. It’s an anthem for anyone who has ever left and tried to come home. “It’s here and gone.” Something about the use of space on this one reminds me of Skynrd’s “Tuesday’s Gone.”
The closing track on the album is “Pastures,” a colorful acoustic part that has shades of classic folk tinged with some slight blues. The line about being “wrapped up in a bottle” completes a consistent theme throughout the album. There’s a confessional, gospel element to this song. Considering some of the genres giants like Cash and Kristofferson wrestled with similar demons, this seems like a through-line worth exploring and appreciating. There’s a maturity to the song that shows the depth of “looking back” after earlier years of chasing a high.
The album feels like the genuine article for fans of throwback country music. What I like most about it is that there doesn’t seem to be any copycat work here; these guys aren’t trying to sound like a specific artist, but rather have a sincere sinning-repentance-seeking arc throughout the album this relatable to an awful lot of us. It’s well worth consideration, especially for fans of mid-century country and rock.
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