Bob Sumner believes that music is made to evolve. On his latest work, Some Place to Rest Easy (due out September 6th via Fluff & Gravy and North Country Collective), you’ll hear countrypolitan strings alongside ambient sensibilities; tasteful synth tracks followed seamlessly by numbers with dobro and steel guitar. It’s an album that takes as much inspiration from the audio production of Randy Travis as it does the lyrical soul of Big Thief’s Adrienne Lenker — a melding of eras, sounds, concepts, and stylings that’s informed by the past, but never bound by it.
Songs like “Don’t We Though” explore how the same relationship can be both loving and tumultuous, with smooth instrumentals that underlay a more complicated lyrical landscape. “Forty Years on the Floor” and “Lonesome Sound” make ripe soundtracks for country drives. Three songs on the album—”Bridges,” “Motel Room,” and “Is It Really Any Wonder”—touch on the loss of multiple loved ones to alcoholism.
More than a single sound, influence, instrumental, or theme, the through line in Sumner’s music
has always been vulnerability. “I always want people to feel something,” Sumner explains. “If I
heard that this album helped somebody feeling down, even just by feeling some other
emotion for a little while, that’s the number one thing for me.”
Today Glide is excited to offer an exclusive premiere of the standout tune “Is It Really Any Wonder” and its corresponding video. Blending his country-folk sensibility with a synth-driven 80s yacht rock groove, Sumner gives us a soft and emotionally stirring tune that brings together unlikely inspirations. There’s a touch of twang that complements his soothing, easygoing vocals and adds a sense of depth to his lyrics examining the feeling of losing a loved one to the bottle. The video complements these vibes as Sumner wonders a country carnival in a ponderous state, with imagery reminiscent of 70s indie cinema.
When asked about the sonic inspiration of “Is It Really Any Wonder,” Sumner answers with a questioning grin: “Toto? All of these songs are written on an acoustic guitar. At the heart, they are folk songs. But we love the studio. We love seeing where different players take things. This one, we kind of let the reins loose on Chris Gestrin (Synths / Keys), and it got kind of big. It’s a synth-forward track, and we love it for that .”
WATCH:
