Laney Jones and the Spirits
I’d like to have you believe that music criticism involves some sort of innate ability to divine, seemingly out of thin air, the next notable band. Trade secret – just as often, it’s seeing the right series of words near the top of a press release that generate some intrigue. In the case of Laney Jones and the Spirits, it was the combination of “Nashville rockers” and “supporting The Heavy Heavy on tour” that caused me to click and listen to their rousing single, “We Belong Together.” As it turns out, the band’s self-titled debut may be my favorite straight-up rock record of the year.
Jones and her husband, drummer Brian Dowd, have been kicking around Nashville for more than a little while since moving north from Florida. The Spirits as a band, though, have finally coalesced after years of road work paired with songwriting from the couple that solidified after personal heartbreak; the loss of their dog, Happy. That pain is felt initially in “Bitch Year,” a propulsive rocker full of the all-over-the-map emotions that tend to come about after something terrible happens – “Bite me like an animal/Be a dear, fetch me a beer.” Along with “Bitch Year,” “Knowme” and “Live Wire” were also penned in the wake of their pup’s passing. The former begins with Jones lost in thought before her band (also featuring Glen Hruska on bass and Carson Lystad on lead guitar) kicks in as Jones embraces her sorrow – “I’m a let down loser, I just smile/Drift into oblivion.” “Live Wire” is a bit of an 80s throwback, with keys washing over Jones as she overcomes her long-term “case of the Mondays” and begins to bounce back – “You came around here/Picked up my frown dear/Reminding me of who I wanna be.”
If the thought of songs centered around a dear, departed dog seem like a bit of a downer, worry not – there’s plenty of uplift and noisy rock found on the album. “Waiting On You” attacks right out the gate with old-school guitar-bass-drums and an attitude to match – “I ain’t got no patience these days/So do what you wanna do.” “Another Rolling Stone” is a big, fat rocker indicating that Jones and her band are chasing the only dream they know – “So give me sonic comfort and dance me dirty clean.” And “Feel Something” has keys and sleigh bells backing Jones as she reminds us that misfortune does, indeed, make us feel – “If everything was perfect/And we lived just like a king/I don’t know if it would matter babe/I don’t know if I could sing” – but reaching for something better – “The flicker of dream that/Binds us to tomorrow” – is what keeps us getting out of bed each day.
Song I Can’t Wait to Hear Live:“ We Belong Together” – That single that drew me in is all squally guitars and big, loud rock moments of the type we don’t hear nearly enough, with a band that knows they’re doing exactly what they should be doing – “So stick the needle/To the groove/And listen to all the words he say” – and are just waiting for the rest of the world to catch up.
Laney Jones and the Spirits was produced by Laney Jones and the Spirits and Andrija Tokic, mixed and engineered by Andrew Boullianne and Andrija Tokic and mastered by Kevin Reeves. Songs written by Laney Jones, Brian Dowd and Glen Hruska. Laney Jones and the Spirits are Jones (vocals, guitar, keys), Dowd (drums, keys), Hruska (bass) and Carson Lystad (lead guitar). Additional musicians include Ian Jones (lead guitar), Jeff Ratner (bass) and Bradley Crow (piano).
Go here to order Laney Jones and the Spirits (out November 20): https://ffm.to/lrqqd2x
Check out tour dates here: https://www.laney-jones.com/schedule
