Place to Bury Strangers - Worship - COMPACT DISCS [CD]

Onwards to the Wall packs every bit of the searing sonic maelstrom listeners have come to expect (nay, demand!) from Brooklyn's a Place to Bury Strangers. Yet, the adroit song craft that's always been there is brought more the fore, pop hooks are repurposed and more instantly recognizable. Now joined by bassist Dion Lunadon, formerly of the D4, Ackerman has found a crucial companion in pulling timeless melodies from their jet engine textures.

Rather than fixate on the minute details like they may have done in the past, the group, rounded out by drummer Robi Gonzalez, trust their instincts and try to keep things as pure as possible. Music is much more exhilarating when it's unpredictable even on repeat plays, and this is very much an unpredictable record. Gonzalez makes his recording debut with the band here, and it obvious that he helped pushed the band recordings closer to the level of their infamous live shows.

When John Wort Hannam started to write songs for his 8th album, 'Long Haul', he didn't have any particular theme in mind. Locked down in the early days of the pandemic, random ideas began to coalesce into a unified whole and eleven songs later, a solid vision had clearly emerged. With narratives that trace small victories earned through faith, resilience and humour, the songs on 'Long Haul' reach beyond our current sense of isolation to share a sense of gratitude for what we have, and grief for what we have lost. Balancing personal and universal concerns, the songs on 'Long Haul' offer intimate reflections of everyday life and experience. InchI've become more comfortable writing about myself than I ever was in the past. Recently, I've realized that the things that I go through are meaningful and that I don't need a crazy, drunken, bound for the jailhouse kind of life to write good songs.Inch Recording during a global pandemic is not an easy proposition. Thankfully, John and his long time producer, Steve Dawson had formed a natural chemistry over the pair of records they had previously crafted together, and once they got down to working remotely, and the thousands of miles separating Lethbridge, Alberta from Nashville seemed to disappear. Memorable performances from Dawson (guitar/strings) Gary Craig (drums), Jeremy Holmes (bass), Chris Gestrin (keyboards) and John Prine alumnus Fats Kaplin (mandolin, fiddle, banjo and accordion) added a special chemistry to the mix, resulting in the best sounding record of Hannam's career. 'Long Haul' is a reflection on my life up to this point, and for the first time I think that my songs perfectly encapsulate the truth of where I'm at as an artist and a person. Life is short. Time is passing and I don't want to spend it wishing that things were any different than they are.Inch Engagingly melodic, topical and enduring, 'Long Haul' is