The pop music world is obsessed with trends. It only makes sense that they would be. The folks that have to sell the music depend on knowing what’s hot and what’s not to keep their business running. For artists, however, having a sense of what’s going on outside of their rehearsal space that is too fine-tuned can be detrimental.
There will come a day that time is nigh when record execs will convince the world of the quality of AI-generated music. It won’t last for long, but, boy, will that be a trend. However, the musicians who go through life while remaining in permanent contact with their musical instrument will just smile and wait for it to be over.
Their audiences will feel the same way. Dewey Kincade & The Navigators’ newest release, “Standing on a Rock”, is a love letter to the unchangeable real emotions expressed by real musicians using real musical equipment. It’s a prophecy for anyone who cares to listen. When it comes to pop-rock music, things aren’t exactly about to change anytime soon.
Album opener “Why” is a folk-rock number complete with gentle, measured instrumentation. It’s a tune about facing the world against the advice of your heart and the tools required to pull on through. The song, musically and thematically, provides the key to understanding the album as a whole.
Emotional songwriting is the bedrock of this release. “When Your Ship Goes Down” is another song about being forced to make hard choices, a tune that recalls The Wallflowers’ 1990s releases.
Meanwhile, the title track, “Standing on a Rock” feels taken right out of the book of Earthy Pop-Americana that produced so many memorable singles back in the same glory days of the 1990s.
Through it all, The Navigators present themselves as adventurers willing to suffer terrible hardships but also looking for a safe port. There’s optimism here, albeit one that comes out only when the Sun sets and the Rum bottles are opened. “I Crossed the Water” has an old-time spiritual vibe attached to it. “To Build a Fire,” with its title borrowed from Jack London’s first published short story, is an ode to people ready to dedicate every bit of themselves to ensuring that their dreams come true.
Do you know Dewey Kincade better now that you’ve heard this collection of songs? He and The Navigators certainly want you to. They’ve certainly not sparred showing you any of the sights.
Album closer, “Roll Baby Roll,” with its confident blues-rock vocals reminiscent of Chris Robinson, is a street poem for electric guitar. It’s a look into a dangerous but exciting world and an invitation. The band wants you to understand their side of the story. And in doing that, they show why some things aren’t meant to change. One of those things is real songwriting performed by real musicians burning with passion for what it is that they do.
https://deweykincade.com/album/2748861/standing-on-a-rock-radio
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