Reviewed by Harry Kaplan
Another astounding release that came to me. I am doing a promotion on ReverbNation and The Lonesome Souls were one of the acts that submitted music. I was immediately floored by their songs. And lo and behold, they also have a brand spankin’ new album out called Wild Child that was just released on May 9. 2017. The Lonesome Souls hail from Cookeville, TN, which is 80 miles east of Nashville. Matt Mooney- vocals/guitar; Doug Cowan- vocals/harp; Brian Emerton- guitar; and, Geoff James- bass/drums are the blood and guts of The Lonesome Souls.
These guys really are onto something special. The music is a mix of country, blues, folk, and some rock and roll thrown in. The recordings are a bit minimalistic, which adds to their power. In this case, less is certainly more. That haunting feeling could not attained and believed with a lot of instruments and slick production work. No, these guys have enough trust in their material and restraint to let it go “as is”. And thank goodness for that because we are the beneficiaries.
The first song on Wild Child is an absolute stunner, Black Rain. One of the best songs I have heard in a long time. The feeling of this song, from the acoustic guitars, harmonica and vocals make it sound like something Neil Young could have done. That is a great start. Any Neil Young leaning work automatically gets my attention. The Lonesome Souls keep my attention with their singing and harmonies which are nothing short of brilliant.
BLACK RAIN
Let’s skip from the first track to the last, My Lonesome Soul (Track 10). This is almost a very austere rhythm and blues number, more than a country song. But there is overlap in much of the music we listen to. This song could certainly be a soul song with a little bit more production and some horns. It is a fine song just the way it is, though. It shows the range of the band and the ability to branch out and explore some different genres.
MY LONESOME SOUL
So forgive the disclaimer, but this has been an incredible year for country music so far and we aren’t even out of May. This is another inclusion to that ever growing list. This is an outstanding album that you need to own, pronto!
Listen to Wild Child on ReverbNation
This is the most inspiring thing Ive ever read! This us our music, from our hearts yours! Thanks for listening.