Bob Lefevre & the Already Gone In Tongues
On their newly released third long player, entitled In Tongues, Bob Lefevre and the Already Gone lead listeners on a journey through songs marinated in savors of classic country, Americana, and alt-country.
The motifs of In Tongues reflect the emotional aftermath of Lefevre’s divorce, including emptiness, memories, and pushing ahead into unfamiliar existential territory.
Recorded by Chris Beeble at The Blasting Room, Fort Collins, CO, and mastered by Doug Van Sloun, Focus Mastering, Omaha, NE, In Tongues features Already Gone members Mike Krupp (drums) and Larson Lind (bass), with vocal harmonies from Laniece Schleicher (10 Cent Stranger), along with the talents of Jesse Bates, Scott Badham, John Poland and Shawn Hess.
Of the 11 tracks on the album, highlights include the title track, its gleaming textures belying the aching revelations of the lyrics – the stark realization of loss. Tender, slightly melancholic, and steeped in nuances of grief, Lefevre’s vocals divulge the invisible but real damage to his heart.
For some reason, “Nothing Has Changed” summons up suggestions of Neil Young, with its thick layers of rock guitars and Lefevre’s evocative vocals, narrating an inescapable sense of loneliness.
“You worried at the seam until it split / And bit the hand that fed you common sense / And where did all that leave you in the end / But alone again, all alone again.”
The driving impetus of “Since the Last Card Fell” makes it a personal favorite. Tinted with darker guitars atop a pulsating rhythm, the tune pushes persuasively, providing an undeniably convincing listen.
A straight-ahead country rocker, “Bitter Days” features jangly guitars riding a driving rhythm. It’s followed by “Wedding Bells,” which displays the searing pain of lost love and its accompanying merciless sensations of heartbreak.
Another personal favorite because of its aura of promise and the possibility of healing, “Rosaline” finds Lefevre exploring a new, romantic relationship. The way Lefevre sings out her name exposes his longing for emotional redemption.
The raw colors of the wall-of-sound guitars on “Tie Your Hair Back” give the melody a robust energy and momentum as Lefevre struts the power and range of his voice, expressing profound passion via elevated tones.
Bob Lefevre and the Already Gone are at their best when they turn it loose, ramping up the guitars with relentless dynamism. A great album, In Tongues demonstrates the potential of great alt-country music.
Follow Bob Lefevre and the Already Gone: https://www.boblefevremusic.com/
