The fact that Nathan Graham has held his own opening for such musically disparate artists as neo-R&B greats like Low Cut Connie and Lilly Hiatt, one of the best things happening in Americana right now, shows the broad appeal of his music. And that appeal is apparent in his stellar debut Saint of Second Chances, where he manages to blend Soul, Rock, and Americana into an irresistible sound.
Coming from Chicago, the Blues and Soul influences are a given, but it’s his knack for classic rock guitar that makes this album so unique. It’s not surprising to hear his influences vacillating between Lenny Kravitz and Earth Wind & Fire. You can hear both influences mingling on a song like the driving opening track “Pride” and on “Right One.” Elsewhere, “Fake Friends” and “Worrying My Life” have more of a classic Motown feel, bringing to mind contemporaries like Nathaniel Rateliff, while “Good Honest Man” shows he also knows his way around a classic Country sound. The record closes on “I’ll Get it Right,” a song about life as a struggling artist, another track with strong Country influences, but one that also tacks on a scorching guitar solo toward the end.
And while it’s easy to get lost in the music here, Graham’s knack for writing thoughtful lyrics is almost as impressive. “I wrote a record about the human condition of having anxiety, having feelings of love and being scared to lose that, or scared that you’re going to screw it up somehow—or they’re going to screw it up somehow,” Graham says. “I want the audience to go on that journey with me. To sometimes be sad, and sometimes be joyful. I want us all to be walking through that journey with each other.”
And it’s a journey well worth taking. Sadly, Graham only has three live dates on the calendar as of right now, all in the Midwest. But with the album out this week, there’s hope that he loads up the van for a proper tour as this is a record that’s begging to be heard live.
