It was the cover that drew me to Seth Anderson’s ‘We Could Be.’ tonight. Just a photo of a man with a guitar case walking past a torn down building with colorful graffiti on it all in front of some gorgeous snow capped mountains. I couldn’t tell you why this cover called to me tonight but I was excited to dig into this album after scarfing down my dinner.
“Drive Alone” kicked things off and I instantly knew this was going to be a perfect album for tonight. A little retro rock n’ roll with a hint of Americana wrapped into it, I instantly fell in love with the words of this song, “One for the broken youth/ Maybe the ones that got it right/ I got lost in my muse”. The beauty in those words is clear but the emotion is just as clear making this a song that cut right to my core. I knew that, although I have never met Seth, hell, I had never heard of him before tonight, we were going to be best friends by the time I reached the end of this eleven song album.
Second up is “Finding Bliss” which continued with just utter beauty. This song seems to lean more to the Americana side of Seth’s style with how it slows down a little bit but don’t take that as any lack of energy. There’s something about this song that instantly had a smile creeping across my face. The same can be said about “Take Away The Sad”. Although the lyrics definitely pack a punch, there’s something about the delivery that is almost optimistic in a way. That seems to be a going theme with this album and something that I absolutely love so, yeah, to say that I was already head over heels in love with Seth Anderson and this album by this third song would be an understatement.
“Don’t Stop” has that whiskey drinking, slow dancing, sad vibe that made me fall in love with Lucero (my favorite band on the planet) and honestly that’s what this track made me think of. Sure, it doesn’t have the alt-country edge of Lucero but it has the same feeling to it. “Don’t Stop” is the perfect soundtrack to the broken hearted where, instead of trying to pump you up and tell you everything is going to be okay and you’re better off, this track really just lays out the feelings that you get after a breakup. Although my latest breakup was weeks ago, it has been rough to get over and this song definitely had me feeling all of the feels but, at the same time, it had me being okay with those feelings instead of trying to hide from them and pretend like I was completely over it.
I love how, after the slow and somber vibe that “Don’t Stop” filled my house with, the mood instantly shifts as the album moves on to “My One Belief”. This track has a hurried guitar strum to it as Seth’s sensitive yet powerful voice dances over it. The hurried pace is a stark change from the previous song but it doesn’t feel rushed over frantic. The minimalism of this song was another element that instantly stood out to me. I’m not sure how to explain it but this song sounds a bit more like just listening to a friend during a night of drinking that brought their guitar to the party. A little unpolished but somehow perfect.
The band kicks back in with “Highway Lights”. This track felt more like the beginning of the album and just reminds you of what kind of style Seth Anderson has at his core. This toe tapping jam had the smile on my face growing more and more with every phrase of his excellent way with words. The repetitive ending was so ear wormy that I found myself still humming it as the album moved onto “We Could Be” but the heaviness of “We Could Be” replaced that earworm quickly. This is another one of those slow, whiskey drinking songs but this one has a darkness in it that had yet to be seen on this album. Although I feel like you know there’s pain behind some of the words throughout this album, it’s this track that you really feel the magnitude and heaviness of the words and it’s a beautiful thing.
Speaking of whiskey drenched sad country songs, the next track, “Your Son”, starts with the words “Whiskey-soaked cigarettes been running through my veins”. Those words really just re enforced what I had been thinking on the previous tracks. “Your Song” seems to have a bit more of a twang to it while still remaining clearly Seth Anderson. I like this little southern twain in his style and I started wishing I had heard it more often on the previous tracks. That’s when “Life Without The Fight ” came in and shook me of that notion because it was back to Seth’s unique blend of old fashioned rock n’ roll with that Americana edge to it. This was another track that instantly had me tapping my toe and nodding my head along to the infectious beat. This was an instant favorite of mine and a song that is sure to find a permanent place in my daily playlist.
Although there are just two songs left on this album, “As A Ghost” brings in new elements that I hadn’t picked up on in the previous songs like a beautiful piano that instantly had me in awe. Another one of the slower tracks on the album, I was a bit worried that ‘We Could Be.’ may end on a slow note like this and, although beautiful, it’s not the type of mood I wanted to end on. Cue up the final song on the album, “All We’ll Ever Need” and all of my fears were laid to rest. Although the song isn’t amped like I thought I wanted, there was something playful and care-free about this track that made it the perfect ending to a perfect album.
Honestly, this album was a bit all over the place as far as styles and influences are concerned but that’s what makes it such a stellar piece of art. Although the styles and influences vary, the constant that is Seth Anderson can be heard loud and clear throughout it. I’m honestly left speechless by this album. Thank you Seth Anderson!
My Favorite Track(s): “Life Without the Fight”; “Highway Lights”
For Fans Of: Slow Whiskey Drinking Songs; Hints of Americana meet Bruce Springsteen; Feelings
Daydream-ability: 7.3 out of 10
What My Cats Thought Of It: Artie laid by the front door; Autumn laid right next to the speaker with her tail moving to the beat
How Badly I Want To See This Performed Live: 8.7 out of 10
My Overall Rating: 9.2 out of 10
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Check out ‘We Could Be.’ HERE!
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