With his new album Forsythia, Americana star Caleb Caudle, in his follow-up album to 2020’s brilliant and classic Better Hurry Up, continues to add to his reputation as one of the genre’s most talented singer-songwriters.
Deftly produced by John Carter Cash at the legendary Cash Cabin, Caudle delivers an album that is not only one of this year’s best but one that stands as a wonderful aural document for our times. With its breadth of introspection about life and what is truly important and its unbounded compassion for the human condition, it is one of those records that rewards repeated listens.
Written against the backdrop of the Covid-19 pandemic and its devastating effect on the music industry, Caudle was faced with the looming prospect that it may be his last album and that his music career had come to a screeching halt.
Moving back home to North Carolina and committing himself to write every day with the newfound time on his hands due to the pandemic, Caudle wrote a batch of new songs that ultimately turned into Forsthyhia.
He created an album of a superior songwriter at the top of his game whose layered songs are nostalgic without being oversentimental and optimistic without being ignorant of the toughness of life for all of us here on this earth.
Highlights of the record include the lead track “I Don’t Fit In,” an artist’s anthem about the value of non-conformity, the titular composition “Forsythia,” which is an ode to childhood and how beautiful life is, “Through My Hands,” a reflection upon the fluidity of time and the precious nature of existence, and the two songs “Texas Tea,” and “Shattered Glass,” which are two expressions of a world-weary traveler trying to maintain an uncompromising faith and optimism in the face of all that life is throwing at him.
Ultimately this album is the work of a man attempting to leave his mark through his art. And like all great artists, Caudle is wise to the life-defining subtleties all around him and can artistically express them in a manner that is relatable to his audience. That he succeeds so masterfully is a testament to his prowess while providing a purely joyful listening experience to all listeners.
Forsythia by Caleb Caudle is now available on his website here: https://www.calebcaudle.com
Enjoy our previous coverage, here: SHOW REVIEW: Caleb Caudle at Hill Country Barbecue
Credits: Produced by John Carter Cash, Caleb Caudle – Guitar, Vocals, Jerry Douglas – Dobro, Lap Steel, Sam Bush – Mandolin, Fiddle, Dennis Crouch – Bass, Fred Eltringham – Drums, Percussion, Carlene Carter – Background Vocals, Elizabeth Cook – Background Vocals, Sarah Peasall McGuffey – Background Vocals, Forrest Cashion – Organ, John Carter Cash – Autoharp, Trey Call – Engineer, Joseph Cash – Assistant Engineer