I was unaware of LC Franke until receiving this EP to review. Before listening to Southern Bloom, I went through both bands discography. Silverada, formerly Mike and the Moonpies, are well known in the indie-country scene for their Texas style southern country rock. LC Frank is an alt-country/pop crooner with a silky voice and a great first album. Mike Harmeier, lead singer and guitarist for Silverada and LC Frank became friends on a flight to Nashville from Austin. They met on the plane, began chatting and bonded over shots of Tequila. They discussed a mashup of LC singing on a Silverada song and vice versa. Not a pipe dream, the two brought their teams together and created this subtle work of beauty.
The first song is “Prisoner,” an LC Franke track that Silverada backs on. Mickey Raphael (Willie Nelson Family Band) and Rami Jaffee (Foo Fghters) join in with harmonica and keyboards respectively. With Zach Moulton’s pedal steel, the rhythms of bassist Omar Oyoque and drums of Taylor Englert, LC Franke’s voice with Mike Harmeier on harmonies, this song takes on an ethereal vibe. It feels like it’s been heard a million times over, except this time you take notice. The sound is an ice cream shared on a sunny summer as the sun sets over the sparkling waves. Jaffee’s keyboards dangle, and Raphaels harmonica flit across the sound with such familiarity it’s hard to believe this is their first time all playing together. Absolutely delicious song.
“Young In Love,” the second track is a Silverada song. Here, as the bands sounds merge, the rock of Silverada is polished by the waves of LC Franke’s smooth croon. Mike’s vocals take this to the moon. He’s never sounded as perfect as he does when complimented by LC FRanke’s harmonies. It’s a completely unique version of it. Andy Langham’s piano dances in time to Catlin Rutherford’s strong guitar. Zach’s pedal steel flits in the space above. The layering of the sounds in production is perfection. It is more than an impressive version of this song.
The final track on Southern Bloom is “Say Yes To Heaven,” a Lana Del Rey cover. One of the best trends today in independent country music is the male musicians covering female songs. It’s both honorable and gives a unique spin to the tale being woven. Here, the saxophone of MIchael Lewis and Jaffee’s keyboards dance together magically to the spirit of the song. Say yes not only to heaven, but also to the potential in stretching your horizons and expanding into genres, merging them seamlessly together, This cover smashes stereotypes and like the entire album is pure rock and silk.
Produced by LC Franke, engineered by Adam Mason, and mixed/mastered by D. James Goodwin even the post production is special. With so much new music constantly coming out, it’s a pleasant surprise to hear something as uniquely created and soundly shaped as these three songs. It’s worth a focused listen. Something magical is happening on this EP and I can not wait to see where this leads both bands.
It is available for download on all streaming services September 23. You can also purchase it on either bands website:
Enjoy our previous coverage here: REVIEW: Silverada self-titled
- Prisoner (2:54)*
- Young In Love (3:15)+
- Say Yes To Heaven (3:56)^
