[rating=8.00]
Gill Landry is on a roll, making music with Old Crow Medicine Show and now releasing his third full-length solo record. The self-titled release finds the multi-talented singer, songwriter and instrumentalist in a state of calm, creating stripped down Americana roots music.
Landry’s voice is deep and steady, and makes for truly clean and beautiful harmonies, especially on single “Just Like You”. A song about the banalities of life, the past, and love, “Just Like You” is a standout on the record for its hauntingly pretty tune and rich harmonica. “Thinkin’ of old loves and wedding gowns/Passing time/It’s so hard tryin’ to find a golden spark/When the world is cold and dark/In my mind/Oh darlin’ do you think of me sometimes?/Wonder if I’m lost or doin’ fine,” he sings, before launching into a driving guitar melody. Landry paints a vivid sepia tone dream with this song, something he’s perfected with this record. He so thoughtfully captures every little nuance and memory, leaving you with the same longing he seems to be feeling when he sings about a woman “reading Bukowski in [her] underwear” or a dream he had that left him feeling homesick and alone.
On “Take This Body”, Landry pairs up with the folksy Laura Marling for a romantic, raw look at love. A heavier, more intense song, it’s still dreamy and ethereal, with Marling’s gauzy vocals adding a smoky sultriness. The two sound like they belong together, playing off each other’s vocal characteristics to create some really gorgeous harmonies.
Other guest appearances include the fantastic guitar playing of Robert Ellis, trumpet-playing by Nick Etwell of Mumford and Sons, and the vocal and violin talents of Odessa. Ellis adds a western vibe to “Fennario”, with energetic guitar-playing that’s immediately warmed and enriched by the harmonizing of Erwell’s trumpet. The song lyrics also paint a vast, scenic landscape, vibrant with color, and the instrumentals heighten this imagery.
“Bad Love” is one of a handful of tracks on Landry in which you can hear his classic influences, like Tom Waits and the Band. You can hear his Louisiana roots, and the way he never seems to rush. Every note is played and sung with the greatest care and craft. “Lost Love” masters this, too, as does the almost Tom Petty-esque “Long Road”.
Landry makes singing about heartbreak and sadness seem effortless and authentic. You believe him that he’s hurting or in need when he sings about it. “Lately Right Now” is the best example of this, with a slight twang in the instrumental arrangement, but contrasting with a swooning violin to add just the right amount of aching.
Gill Landry is a record to cry to, but also one that will make you feel passionate and even a little devilish. It will no doubt bring out many of the same emotions Landry experienced himself in writing these songs, and that’s really something. There’s a dark sweetness to this record that makes you want to just wrap him up in a big hug and tell him it’s going to be alright. But there’s also just enough hope to reassure you he definitely will be.
