ALEC LYTLE & THEM ROUNDERS – ALBUM REVIEW

 

Alec Lytle is an amazingly talented songwriter hailing from the secluded Redwood section of northern California. His songs are deeply personal and reflective. Yet they are wide enough for the listener to absorb and relate. Lytle writes about the turmoils and triumphs of his ever evolving life. He spins introspective narratives that surrounds the soul with explosions of profound sensations. Even though his music is delicately textured, he tackles strong themes such as marriage, fatherhood and grief.

Lytle just released his sophomore album entitled The Remains of Sunday. He penned the new songs during a period of intense life changing events. It’s been five years since his debut record, The End of Ours was issued. Since then, Lytle has seen the birth of his two children and the passing of his mother and older sister. These reflective feelings swirl throughout Lytle‘s modern folk tales. Some takes us through mighty highs and others through perilous lows. Still the album breathes a beautiful awareness of the world we live.

One of the reasons The Remains of Sunday is so captivating is the fact that Lytle has immersed himself with a prodigious group of musicians. His “Rounders” spark a vibrant tone through the entire album. Be it a sound of a mourning violin or a foot stomping chorus each tune carries its own identity due to the outstanding musicianship of his ensemble. Lytle comments, “Filtering my experiences through all the family and friends who added to this record broadens this music in a way I never would have expected. I hope that we have made something where people can find their own meaning, connection, joy, or reflection separate from the personal experiences that were the impetus for these songs.”

The Remains of Sunday opens with “The Mountain”. It ‘s a festive musical jam that’s both uplifting and fun. The song is also an ode to the fortitude needed to survive Lytle‘s rural heartland and “a  metaphor for things that hold us strong, the good and the bad.” The animated mandolin and spirited guitar frame the effervescent ditty. Lytle‘s vocals fits perfectly. We’re ready for the hootenanny.  “Landslide” follows with Lytle crooning a tender lyric to his wife. His fragile voice exposing his anxieties about being a good husband.  He sings:

I shouldn’t speak

My words start a landslide, my dear

The subtle strings and earthy bass keeps the song entrenched in its pensive vibe.

Fatherhood is another prevalent theme laced throughout the record.  In the root tinged funk of “Young”, Lytle emboldens his children to find him while he’s ” still young”. The groove laden cadence flows effortlessly as Lytle bemoans raising his kids in “that machine that devours innocence”. “April Morning”  is a somber homage to his departed mother. Its haunting beauty lies with the moody orchestration embedded deep inside. The entire melody has this sorrowful and wistful aura.  Lytle‘s voice practically cracks from the emotional timbre.

“Monday” is an interesting 54 second Beatles infused psychedelic interlude which kinda works but not sure why it’s there. Just like my real Mondays. Lytle ups the beat on the next song. The highly politicized “The Remains of Sunday” with its rolling guitar and rollicking back beat has you foot toe tapping once again. “Wire and Wood” is a slow dirge of a song. Bluesy and plaintive, Lytle‘s vocals feel dejected and heartbroken. His dour warble is full of craving and want. The underlining story of Lytle‘s “Trees” is one of a restless girlfriend or wife who leaves. His singer is holding down the fort wondering if she will ever return. With its fragile strings and lamenting acoustic guitar, the simplicity of the song  heightens the gracefulness of the tune.

Lytle uses “State” as a textual soundscape capturing the best of himself and Them Rounders. All their musical elements magnificently converge in this bitter sweet song to his son. The thoughtful tome is a plea for the child to keep the positive and let go of all the negative aspects that besiege adolescents. The song is truly one of the highlights on “The Remains of Sunday“. We end with a cover of Paul Simon’s “Diamonds on The Soles of Her Shoes”. Here Lytle weaves his personal grief of a lost older sister into a fiercely loving rendition. About the song selection, Lytle commented “I followed her down so many trails. Her enveloping laugh is etched in my memory, hopefully forever. She loved music. She always asked me to sing and play for her. I played this song at her memorial service“.

“The Remains of Sunday” is an enlightening piece of music. Lytle has created a classic album that will weather many emotional storms.

Again, much praise should be showered on his Rounders and production crew. The production of Tony Berg (Michael Penn, Josh Radin) and the mixing by the legendary Bob Clearmountain (Springsteen, The Rolling Stones) is superb. Them Rounders embellish the wholeness of the record with their astonishing and imaginative playing.

Them Rounders

• Dylan Day (Josh Radin, Jenny Lewis)—————-Electric Guitar
• Greg Leisz (Beck, Wilco)——————————-Pedal Steel
• Matt Chamberlain (Fiona Apple, John Mayer)——Drums
• David Pitch (Willy Nelson, Randy Newman)—- —Upright and Electric Bass
• Patrick Warren (Bonnie Raitt, Bob Dylan)– — —–Pianos and Orga
• Ethan Gruska (Phoebe Bridgers)—————-  —-Pianos Mellotron, and Noises
• Gabe Witcher (The Punch Brothers)—————–Fiddle
• Ben Estes————————————————Banjo and Harmony Vocals
• Z Berg (The Like, JJAMZ)—————————–Harmony Vocals

The Remains of Sunday is Alec Lytle‘s second album

• The End of Ours—————————————-2015 Four Acre Records
• The Remains of Sunday——————————-2020 Four Acre Records

NEXT POST————————————————–BLENDED BREW

 

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