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Beau Jennings & The Tigers (from Heavy Light on Black Mesa Records) (by Lee Zimmerman)
Coming quickly on the heels of his recent EP Feel the Sun, the evocative and incisive Heavy Light finds Beau Jennings claiming his rightful place among today’s most committed heartland heroes. Two decades on, he deserves to finally gain the acknowledgement that’s been his due since early on. His trek to the top began with his role in the indie Americana band Cheyenne and evolved into a solo career that’s found him making music with a concerted power and passion that evokes the sound of Springsteen, Seger, Mellencamp, Petty, and all the others that share a sound rooted in anthemic Americana. With the drive and desire of the album’s opening track, “Sunflower”, Beau Jennings surveys a scene flush with both hope and longing. ‘I had a picture in my mind, you and I in a field, Sunflowers forever, the future revealed’. It’s that optimism that defines this effort overall, even as the singer struggles with the trouble and tumult that’s often inflicted on everyday existence. Songs such as “The Comeback”, “I’m Reaching, Lord”, “Bring a Little Light”, “May This Song Be In Your Heart”, and “Heavy Light” ring with a resilience that’s reflected in compelling choruses, ringing refrains and melodies that take immediate hold and seemingly soar skywards. It’s an emphatic set of stadium-sized songs tailor-made to shine in the glow of cell phones as their lit in solidarity while armies of air guitarists strum along with steadfast devotion. Power chords abound, but it’s heartfelt homilies that make the most striking impression. ‘I found myself wondering, how did it ever get so bad’ Jennings asks on “I Know These Guys”, a song deeply rooted in musing and mystery. ‘How did it ever get so bad, I had to go and ask…’ That’s the gist of several of these songs, a confluence of questioning and confidence that finds Beau Jennings & The Tigers exploring decidedly darker realms with the ultimate goal of making sense of the circumstance. In many ways, he speaks for all those who are confused and confounded by the seemingly contradictory nature of life in a post pandemic and decidedly divisive world. Yet he soldiers on, and that determination stirs his sentiments in ways both striking and suggestive. Ultimately, the light may be heavy, but it still shines on assuredly. (By Lee Zimmerman) For more information, please visit the Beau Jennings & The Tigers website Spotify EMBED: <iframe style="border-radius:12px" src="https://open.spotify.com/embed/album/5HmSgNXxS6ixcOGPU1TXfs?utm_source=generator" width="100%" height="380" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen="" allow="autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; fullscreen; picture-in-picture"></iframe>
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