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Ned Farr & The Good Red Road – The Master Plan

Ned Farr & The Good Red Road - The Master Plan

There used to be a time when letters, then long-distance telephone calls, were the only way in which people separated by geographic distance got to speak to each other. They made the best of it and even learned to enjoy it. Recently, Ned Farr & The Good Red Road were forced into a similar position, and the sextet learned to enjoy the process and make the best of it. The result is the album “The Master Plan”.

In fact, the album’s opener, the song titled “The Master Plan,” echoes the sense of unease and uncertainty in which the record was made. It’s a song about being forced into times of trouble. But there’s also faith as the line “Hold on to something, hold on to someone!” rings out through the sparse, carefully balanced mix. 

Ned Farr & The Good Red Road don’t get by on emotionality and moist eyes either. This is clearly the work of a band that has been together for a long time. Even when sharing musical ideas over the internet, they find a way to connect to each other. Besides this, the singing, most band’s ultimate calling card, is always extremely well-controlled and tastefully utilised. 

The band does best when exploring melancholy-filled territory. The sound, generally built upon acoustic guitar-first pop-rock, works best in this context. “Hard Love” and “Memory is a Boat on the Sea” greet you like the friendly voice of an old friend hiding a broken heart. 

There’s room for sonic exploration as well. “A Picture of the Sun” echoes the soul-pop of 80s groups like Hall & Oates. “Bulls” is a smooth retro pop number. And the 9-minute epic of “The Gift” has a psychedelic rock shimmer to it as the lyrics are whispered like a prayer. 

What would a soul singer do without a broken heart? Clearly, emotion-driven vocals are what drives the band’s sound. But even those used to carrying the weight of blue hearts with them up a tall hill must lay their burden down sometimes. “Bury the Stone,” one of the album’s finest songs, might just be the record’s centrepiece and the lesson the songwriting wishes to share with us. 

Ned Farr & The Good Red Road - The Master Plan

Ned Farr & The Good Red Road’s “The Master Plan” is the soundtrack to a long journey made on a bad, unfriendly road. But it’s not a hopeless or lonely journey. The musicians have learned to find hope in times of trouble and to share it with their listeners. 

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About author

Eduard Banulescu is a writer, blogger, and musician. As a content writer, Eduard has contributed to numerous websites and publications, including FootballCoin, Play2Earn, BeIN Crypto, Business2Community, NapoliSerieA, Extra Time Talk, Nitrogen Sports, Bavarian FootballWorks, etc. He has written a book about Nirvana, hosts a music podcasts, and writes weekly content about some of the best, new and old, alternative musicians. Eduard also runs and acts as editor-in-chief of the alternative rock music website www.alt77.com. Mr. Banulescu is also a musician, having played and recorded in various bands and as a solo artist.
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