This is Lorelei The Singer in My Band
As This Is Lorelei, singer-songwriter Nate Amos largely works on his own, producing and performing nearly everything on his latest record, The Singer in My Band. The songs, though, seem to emanate from a wagon full of oddball characters, partially reflecting Amos’ own time in tour vans, concert venues, and any other spot you might encounter Weird America – people and places almost too hard to believe. Put that together with Amos’ admiration for bluegrass – its ability to tell a story as much as the sound itself – and you have a rambling, shambling road record that refuses to settle for predictability.
The album’s lead single, “Billy Came Back,” encapsulates much of what The Singer in My Band is about. Uptempo, yet melancholy, and based around keys, drums, and acoustic guitar, the titular character is an enigmatic artist who makes the music better when he manages to show up – “But without that love a track is just a track/And when he sang that love we all came running back/To hear him sing” (the real-life track is supplemented by lovely vocals from Nate’s sister, Sarah Amos). Likewise, “The Kid with the Crown,” sprinkled with some excellent guitar riffs, features a protagonist (Buddy) who’s never sure of his place – “They can say you’re a loser/But I’m not losing you now.”
Amos’ other gig, as part of indie rock act Water from Your Eyes, is his place to get noisy, while This is Lorelei leaves space for his less busy side to come out. “Nitro” is a short, pretty acoustic instrumental that leads into “Hey Sarah Is It Gonna Rain Forever,” featuring another of the songwriter’s characters and one of my favorite lines on the album – “We’ve been here so long and we can’t get dry/And there is no sun.” “And I Haven’t Seen My Love in Quite a While” is a twangy treat with a baritone guitar foundation spiced by a lyrical turn from Amos’ Water from Your Eyes bandmate (and real-life partner) Al Nardo – “Yeah even though you died/You’re still singing all your songs about me anyway.” And the strummed electric intro to album capper “Don’t You Cry in Lonesomeness” gives way to a promise of comfort – “I will take your lonesomeness/You can leave that here with me.” May all the characters in Nate Amos’ Weird America find a similarly empathetic audience.
Song I Can’t Wait to Hear Live: “The Singer in My Band” – Amos’ love of bluegrass sparkles on the album’s title track, with father Nate (banjo) and sister Sarah (vocals) joining Nate in what amounts to a full-blown string band, at least in Lorelei-land.
The Singer in My Band was produced and engineered by Nate Amos. Songs written and performed by Amos. Additional musicians include Bob Amos (banjo), Sarah Amos (vocals) and Al Nardo (vocals).
Go here to order/stream The Singer in My Band (out September 11): https://store.thisislorelei.com/
https://thisislorelei.mat-r.co/thesingerinmyband
Check out tour dates here: https://thisislorelei.com/tour