Sadler Vaden (from the album Dad Rock

Sadler Vaden (from the album Dad Rock

Sadler Vaden (from the album Dad Rock available on Dirty Mag Records/Thirty Tigers) (by Lee Zimmerman)

A noted utility player, former member of Drivin’ N Cryin’ and current guitarist with Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit, Sadler Vaden can also claims the makings of a successful solo career. His second individual outing, Anybody Out There?, earned him an array of critical kudos, courtesy of an incisive yet universal rock-steady sound. With Dad Rock, Vaden’s likely to build on his reliable reputation, courtesy of eight songs that express his new-found feelings about becoming a dad and sharing the responsibilities that come with that particular station in life. It’s a taut series of memorable melodies, all of which revolve around the theme of fatherhood while also sharing a sense of universal appeal.
Recorded with a cast of notable fellow travelers — Benmont Tench, Elliot Easton, Julian Dorio (The Whigs), Eagles of Death Metal, Art Edmaiston (JJ Grey & MoFro) — the album begins with “Townsend’s Theme”, a soothing instrumental that evolves out of what appears to be the random voices of his youngsters before segueing into a soothing instrumental, which, in turn, morphs into sprawling, Pink Floyd-esque environs. A mix of older material and the newer tracks written specifically for his two sons, Dad Rock clearly puts as much emphasis on the latter as it does the former, and with the tough, taut “Dove”, “Staying Alive”, “Holes”, and “The Rescuer”, it finds Sadler Vaden and his fellow dads shifting into some seismic Rock-steady revelry. Riveting and robust, each song boasts a series of impactful hooks, riveting refrains and an energetic intent that grabs its listeners and compels them to follow every note and nuance.
That said, the quiet, contemplative “The New You” offers some respite, while a soothing soliloquy, “I’ll Always Come Back”, offers added meaning, given that it takes its title from the words Sadler Vaden tells his sons when he leaves to go out on tour. So too, the album’s final track, “Two Balloons”, offers a reverent tribute to his late parents. (‘two balloons went up to the sky…’)

All in all, Dad Rock provides an ideal blend of riveting rock and roll and touching tenderness. It’s the kind of music generations can bond over and share their common cause. (by Lee Zimmerman)
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