Arriving about two years after the release of the critically-lauded County Seat, Will Stewart’s latest effort Way Gone may be brief but finds him just as relevant.
Across just six tracks, and clocking in at just over 20 minutes, the Alabama-based Americana/folkie with strong nods to everyone from Jason Isbell to Drivin’ N’ Cryin’ offers a more reserved version of himself with this EP.
The album opens with “Southern Raphael,” a driving narrative of late night gigs in dive bars and rants about Trump that features a Springsteen-like yelp throughout, punctuating the lyrics.
“All Over Again” distinguishes itself with a strong jangly electric guitar, sounding like a lost track from Document-era R.E.M. But the rest of the songs are tethered more in the folk camp than the rock world, like the acoustic guitar and piano-basked “Stowaway” or the measured “Night God.” The album closes with the achingly beautiful “Cruel Sky,” lyrically and musically the strongest track here. With its slow build acoustic to ringing electric guitars, it also happens to be one of Stewart’s most memorable songs to date.
Despite a cohesive sound and some shared theme, Stewart is clear that Way Gone is not a concept album. And surprisingly, despite a strongly consistent sound, these sic songs weren’t even recorded in the same session. In fact, they were born in several different studios across the southeast.
Though it’s been a couple of years since his last solo effort, Stewart wasn’t stick at home battling writer’s block, rather he’s also a member of Timber alongside Janet Simpson, and also happens to play in her solo band. In addition, he played on Sarah Lee Langford’s Two-Hearted Rounder last year and plays guitar with Terry Ohms on his soon-to-be released record, The Blips.
It may just be six tracks long, but Way Gone is a solid reminder that Stewart’s music is worth waiting for and an impressive enough holdover until he can find his way back to the studio to record another solo LP.
Photo credit: Wes Frazer Makes Photos
