Sounding Arrow Returns With Psychedelic Americana On Immersive ‘SKYMAN’ (ALBUM REVIEW)

Staying positive is an incredibly difficult skill to maintain. With all the negativity and palpable tension thickening the air, stirring up a fog so dense we sometimes forget to look at our fellow humans and share a smile, being the one to break the mold and share a technology-free moment with someone, or anything, is a scary undertaking. It is much easier to fall victim to the downtrodden nature that seems to plague the world around us, and thankfully, Scott Kinnebrew has never been fond of the easy route. The road-tested veteran and member of the beloved country rock outfit Truth and Salvage Co has always brought a complexity to his art that is both welcoming and compelling. On the other hand, his solo work under the moniker Sounding Arrow is getting a relaxed reconfiguration on SKYMAN, the long-awaited sophomore release from Kinnebrew’s stripped-down side project. 

SKYMAN arrives in a haze of psychedelic undertones, nearly ten years since Kinnebrew debuted Sounding Arrow with 2017’s Love is Breathing. That debut album, though, is a far cry from the sound this artist cultivated across these 11 mesmerizing, bright Americana tunes. SKYMAN captures the lost art of enjoying the present moment and appreciating what’s in front of you, rather than trying to correct errors beyond our control. Kinnebrew isn’t simply singing about lifelong highlights in an attempt to capture positivity, nor is he latching on to a far-fetched idea. SKYMAN is, to put it simply, a celebration of life from an artist who has lived a lot of it, and all of that prowess and wisdom picked up along the way has been injected into this tracklist. 

Rather than paint fictitious portraits of a lost world, Kinnebrew draws inspiration from within for SKYMAN. This is not a championed musician screaming down from the top of his mountain of success, hoping someone latches onto his sentiments. There is an authenticity to these songs that emphasizes their sun-drenched atmosphere and legitimizes their breezy nature. SKYMAN is an album for people who love albums, a stellar front-to-back listening experience that doubles as an escape for the listener to retreat to. These aren’t built on ignorance, though, but more so Kinnebrew’s innate talent for finding the beauty in life, and his ability to pack them into stunning Americana. 

Kinnebrew sounds like a new artist on his sophomore solo outing compared to his older material. While there is a refreshing air to these songs, especially in moments like the vivid storytelling of “Modern Day Desperado” and the colorful, infectious nature of “We Are The Kids,” there are moments that seem to fall back on Americana tropes, losing sight of the individuality Kinnebrew established in other moments. Even in these songs with familiar elements, the vision for SKYMAN is never dampened; rather, those tropes blend into the acid-drenched anthems that give this album its distinct personality. 

The atmospheric, toe-tapping “PELICAN,” the heavenly harmonies of “Lucky Shaman,” and the rock-focused “For My Baby” are all examples of what makes SKYMAN such a memorable listen, but this is not an album to digest in chunks. Kinnebrew achieved a level of consistency that harkens back to the days when full albums were the only means to consume music. That nostalgia factor, though, never reaches the songwriting on SKYMAN, as Kinnebrew turns odes to the average into grandiose statements. Moments like the acoustic “ZERO GRAVITY” and the raw “Call Time 5am” juxtapose the psych-Americana arrangements with down-to-earth poetry. 

Kinnebrew returns to Sounding Arrow with a moving reminder to the world. SKYMAN marks an artistic evolution for the veteran, stripping down his sound to its bare essentials while reminding listeners to sit back, breathe, and find something to appreciate in the world around them.