Rides Again...For The First Time - Justin Wierenga (Album Review)
Justin Wierenga is a MIchigan multi-instrumentalist that welcomes change and fuses the current with the classic in beautiful ways. It seems like only yesterday that I was reviewing his previous release, Walking Like He Knows Something, for WYCE’s New Music Monday column. That record mixed elements of folk, ambient sounds, and even heavy, rock riffs to showcase his fearless approach to creating music. Now, with the constant acquisition of vintage gear combined with modern aesthetics, Justin Wierenga has released his first self-produced, concept project called Rides Again...For The First Time.
As Wierenga describes it, this album is “a sonic tale based around a steel player in the late 40's that accidentally slips into an alternate dimension on tour. Each track follows his return home.” This structure for a record is right up his alley to deliver something cohesive and unique. The journey begins with “Howdy,” a tune pulled straight out of a Western film that feels like walking into a dusty town, sizing up the folks in the town square. The ending of this tune almost feels like the traveler’s vehicle is speeding off into the distance. This makes for a great transition into “Leaving Town,” where a blend of space-infused guitar and pedal steel harmonics provide colorful textures with jangly, metallic notes in a recurring melody that ties everything together. “Strange Feeling” shows the traveler stopping at a roadside gas station that doesn’t seem quite right, and Wierenga expounds on this idea by using reversing audio effects and increasing tempo shifts. “The Night Drive” introduces what I assume to be the kantele, with new thematic material to compliment the feeling of traveling for long stretches at night. “Cigarette Burn on my 400” slips and slides in the dark until the morning breaks with “Eggs and Coffee,” where the upbeat guitar and major tonality refreshes the traveler’s spirit as they are enjoying a warm breakfast at a roadside diner. “Mountain Pass” reminds me of my travels with Wierenga supporting Mark Lavengood on our Colorado tours, with hypnotic, tapping guitar patterns capturing your attention similar to the beautiful mountains we would see out of the tour van windows. “Flat Tire” abruptly changes the mood with bluesy slide guitar, much like how a flat tire pulls you away from the comforts of traveling. Luckily, those problems were quickly fixed, and the traveler is “Back On The Road,” picking up momentum as he merges back onto the road. This intrepid adventurer runs into “A Strange Light,” indicated by the swelling rumble of the pedal steel through different effects pedals. Aliens are heard in “This Is How We Communicate,” with lap steel string harmonics and fluttery picking sounds floating around the occasional bass line that bridges the disparate sounds (almost like reaching common ground in a conversation). Once the two entities come to an agreement, or “Understanding,” the time-travelling musician glides through the decades in “Flying By” and excitedly comes home in “The Return.” Once settled, the traveler slaps some bass to get the party started in “Back Home,” but also carves out some time for “Reflection” (quiet moments on the pedal steel) before returning to the stage in their proper timeline in “Live Again.”
It’s always refreshing to hear an artist enjoying the process of creating new art, and as a friend of Justin Wierenga I can hear the delight in exploring different sounds and textures within this concept record. He has been a faithful sideman to many, and to hear that same level of versatility and care put into his own music is always motivating and refreshing. If you’re down for a sonic narrative that blends the traditional elements of Country Western with inventive implementation, this album serves that in spades. If you’re curious about the type of equipment, his Instagram page is a great source for gear demos around his playing!
Album credits:
Justin Wierenga - Guitar, Bass, Drums, Kantele, Pedal Steel Guitar, Dobro, Mandolin, Producer, Composer, Engineer, Mixing
Anthony Emery - Mixing and Mastering, Cover Photo
Website: https://justinwierenga.weebly.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/justinwierenga/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/justinlwierengamusic/
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/5gRNa9Hfuq1w4BNpdbZzyN
Bandcamp: https://justinwierenga1.bandcamp.com/
