Rusty Gear’s EP What We Believe is a collection of Americana originals produced by Brad Hill. This collection is comprised of four Americana songs with hints of country twang and classic southern rock that tell stories every listener will relate to.
As soon as you press play on his first track “What You Believe,” you are immediately transported to a warm summer night by the lake. This classic country tune brings a nostalgic twang that so much of today’s country is missing, even before Rusty begins singing. “What You Believe” is an empowering song that tells a story about what makes each person unique due to what they believe in. Rusty brings everyone together with the lines “A gathering storm and rising tide remind us sometimes things happen without warning, at the end of the day there’s something we can say, “I believe the sun will rise in the morning,”’ This song reminds all listeners to be proud of what their unique beliefs are that may set them apart from others, yet to remember that we all face trying times and can relate to the notion that we all believe that the sun will rise again.
The second song, “It’s Still You” is the beautifully classic tale of a relationship that didn’t work out, and the love that remains. The listener can hear the longing in Rusty’s voice for this relationship. He tells the story of meeting this woman while he was playing in a band in a way that transports the listener in time as if they were there. As he explains the end of this relationship, he sings that he recalls when she called him on the phone and “very gently dropped me like a stone.” You can hear the weight of this line and picture how heartbroken he was to lose this person. The chorus of the song illustrates two individuals who are no longer lovers, but they are still the same individuals who once loved each other. Things are very different than they used to be, yet the pieces of the story are still the same. This is the perfect song for anyone who has lost a love that still lives on in their mind from time to time.
The third track “Forgiveness After All” reminds us how important forgiveness is in this life. Rusty mentions situations that every single listener can relate to, such as making promises that we did not keep, said something that we regret, and often reflect more on the things done wrong rather than what we did right. This tune will not only have you nodding your head to the upbeat, catchy melody, but also in agreement with the message he flawlessly delivers in his lyrics. He brings the entire song together when he sings “may we all be judged by the balance of our good works against the things we’re not proud of.”
The final track of this EP “Home is Where the Heartaches” is an upbeat tune with more of an edge than the other tracks with the addition of electric guitar and drumming combined with more melancholy lyrics. Rusty plays with the well-known saying that “home is where the heart is” and tweaks it to “home is where the heartaches when you live all alone.” He describes the warmth of a home that he shared with a lover, and how her restless nature caused her to move on, leaving him alone in the house that was once a home. What makes a house a home? Rusty explains that a house is made of wood on a foundation made of stone, and once filled with a families’ love it becomes a home. As the song winds down, he repeatedly sings that the lights are on and the fire is warm in his house, welcoming the woman back home along with beautiful backup vocals.
Rusty Gear’s What We Believe is a story book full of life’s experiences that each of us will face at some point on our journey. No matter who you are or where you come from, you will not only thoroughly enjoy listening to this EP, but you will also learn, reminisce, connect, and grow from the emotionally raw and realistic messages that Rusty delivers with his musical gift.
You can listen to What We Believe along with all of Rusty Gear’s music here.