Jeb Loy Nichols - Days are Mighty

On his new album Days are Mighty, Jeb Loy Nichols occupies a territory somewhere between the Soul influenced folk of Martin Sexton and a more acoustic singer-songwriter sound. The album starts out with the more soul/R&B leanings of "My Kind" and the title track "Days are Mighty." The title track is a comforting hopeful song. The message seems to be that, even when life's obstacles are daunting, time goes on and heals. Lyrically the song "25 Years Too Late" views time in another way. When you try to heal wounds in relationships time will only result in regret. All of us can relate to this concept based on the scar tissue of our life.

Relationships are touched on in a very real way in this album. No idealistic love can be found on Days. Indeed Nichols says of the way music portrays relationships that "popular music has a lot to answer for - song after song about something that is at best, painfully hard work." That was his motivating principle in writing "Let's Not Fall." The song has a lighthearted beat that covers up its' cynicism. It may be cynical message but the veracity of his sentiments are not to be denied.

Overall Jeb Loy Nichols has given us a group of songs on Days are Mighty that provide an impactful musical and emotional milieu. It will release this Tuesday, May 6th.

Sample at Compass Records

This review also appears on Twangville

Brett Dennen

I’ve reached a significant conclusion in my life. I need to quit my day job. What made me realize that was that even though Bret Dennen’s album So Much More was released in late 2006, I am just now getting around to listening to it as he is releasing his follow up EP More So Much More. So my creditors are just going to have to understand I have to spend more time listening to music. The album is lyrically poetic and spiritually reflective. Musically, Dennen is soulful in way very similar to Martin Sexton. The mood of the album balances his personal and political pessimism with a refreshing hopefulness. Sometimes it is almost as if Dennen sees opportunity in his struggles as he muses in the title cut, “I’d rather be stuck up in a tree than tied to it.”

The album also has a couple of unusual songs, “Darlin’ Do Not Fear” and “When You Feel It,” which have backbeats with a Caribbean Island music influence to them. In particular, “When You Feel It” has a resophonic guitar in the background as Dennen sings about his “Creole girl.” The hopefulness of the album is shown best as it exits with “Someday.” The keyboards on the song have a gospel feel as Dennen affirms “Someday in a cloud of gray I will make my great escape. My salvation is ahead of me. I can feel it calling me. I know that I will be redeemed.” Let’s hope we can all exit that way. Also feel free to send any donations you would like to make to the “Let Chip Quit His Day Job Fund.”
This review also appeared on: http://twangville.com