Nate Currin – Ghost Town
Some artists invest their pipes in power ballads but lose the charm of the sincere, melodic, slow narrative of a good ballad. Nate Currin doesn’t go retro but “White Hills,” with its warm trombone (Red Hawley), thereby revisits the sophisticated swoon & blend of 50s/early ‘60s balladry. Instead of grabbing ears with vocal range, Nate (acoustic & electric guitars/harmonica) aims for the heart & his expressive voice reaches it.
15 tracks to Ghost Town (Drops Aug 1/Archaic Cannon Records/59:32) produced by Matthew Odmark (add’l guitars/horn arrangements/acoustic guitars/organ/bgv) & Jon Poole (drums/keys/synth). All recorded in Nashville & Gainesville, Georgia.
Nate’s long-term relationship & breakup motivated the themes & reality can be the best opportunity for creative work. Why? Because someone out there knows what it feels like. That someone can relate to what’s being sung about. They’ll need to hear what you have to relate because they may not express themselves as well.
There’s good guitar pickin’ & rootsy fiddle (Lucy Becker) on “The Tamiami Trail,” as well as “Farewell, Savannah.” There are a few genres: folk-rock, bluegrass, Honky-Tonk blues & cosmic country. “Crying Wolf” is more retro rock with twangy guitars. Never losing its message. The Bruce Springsteen-like ballads “5th Avenue,” with wonderful female backup & rich Nate Currin harmonica & “Ghost Town” are both exciting. Currin writes intense, assured songs sung with sophistication & poignancy. No stale clichés anywhere.
It’s a road album. A journal. A diary. But memories will be on your trail no matter how fast you drive. Love is like the towns along the way. There’s always another one coming. It could be a small one-diner town, it could be a mid-size city with more than one bar & church, it could be a big city doll that moves faster than you. Or it could be a tiny village with a natural beauty that steps out of a magazine from a running stream, having done her laundry with her raven black hair spilling in her eyes. Yeah, hit the road when you’re lonely, let the speed in your wheels rewrite your chapters along with painting new scenes & bring along Nate Currin songs. The excellent musicianship could document your feelings.
Highlights – “White Hills,” “Crying Wolf,” “5th Avenue,” “My Soul To Keep,” “Ghost Town,” “The Tamiami Trail,” “Farewell, Savannah,” “Get Back North (I Miss You),” & the very Elton John/Billy Joel-like “I Love You, But I Need Something More.”
Musicians – Aksel Coe (drums), Matt Koziol & Cody Preston (electric guitars/pedal steel), Stephen Mason (bass/bgv), Matthew Chancey (bass), Tom Ryan (bass/upright bass), Charlie Lowell (organ/piano/keys), Louis Johnson (guitars), Nathan McLeod (sax), Peyton Parker, Corrina Hardesty & Simon Peek (vocals).
Color image courtesy of Nate’s website. CD photo courtesy of Christina Frary. CD @ Bandcamp & https://natecurrin.com/
