The first song The Storm Windows sent me was the title track “More Lucky,” which feels like a long lost John Prine song. Of course I was hooked. I said “yes” to covering the EP and have been excited to dig in ever since. Now that I’ve heard a few more tracks, let me just say that if you’re a fan of the Prine-style “quirky” (and I mean that as a compliment) songwriting, you’ll enjoy this a great deal.
The opener “I’m Going to Memphis” has a bluesy piano and an almost Jimmy Buffet-esque style to it. The music feels like rooted blues while the vocal floats above it all with a unique flavor. The second track “We All Have Ghosts” has a bit of a Blaze Foley energy to it. There’s a softness to the composition that feels comfortable and easy going. There’s an “everyman” nature to the lyricism, helping listeners connect with the overall meaning of the track.
“More Lucky,” as I mentioned in the opening paragraph, was the reason I wanted to feature this album. It’s a lovely folk tune with clever lyrics about how privilege and luck define parts of life. “This here life is like throwing dice… you gotta roll.” Tell me that’s not a Prine line. “Take my advice. Forget about paradise. You gotta roll…” I can’t help but wonder if the mention of paradise isn’t an implicit shout out to John. The second verse has some fun tongue-in-cheek sports metaphors that work really well. There’s a Frenchman Street-style music break on the bridge that brings it on home. This one is a treat.
“I Made a List” has an old time character to it. The phrasing reminds me a bit of Foley and Prine again, with this rooted sincerity about the combination of circumstances and our own mistakes defining life. The EP ends with “Angel (That Heaven Must Have Sent Down)” feels like a rollicking Americana tune, complete with a bouncy piano part. The production layers go in a slightly different direction than the rest of the album, but it does hold its own as a bar-closing upbeat number to send everyone off with a smile.
This EP shows a familiarity with some classic songwriting forms. The variety of subgenres make it so that every track has a its own pop of flavor. There’s something here for everyone, especially fans of independent and experimental folk stylings.
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