Even een andere richting uit met The Steelwoods. Omschreven als een Southern Rock band hoor ik in deze nieuwe song toch héél weinig rock. Dit is voor mij pure C&W die teruggrijpt naar klassiekers uit de jaren tachtig: een kampvuur ballad met een klagende pedal steel, wat akoestische gitaar in de achtegrond en een harmonica momentje.
Het soort country music waar zowat heel Vlaanderen hard van gaat lopen. Pure nostalgie voor mij.
On Your Time verschijnt op 6 oktober 2023 in eigen beheer. Luister ook naar: Better in the Fall (live)
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Renowned Southern rock band The Steel Woods have announced their fourth studio album, On Your Time, and are releasing the first single, “If Not For The Rain.” It has been two years since they released All of Your Stones, and the band is back with an album that reveals calm and introspective thoughts as well delivering the gripping country and rock and roll that’s found them lauded by Rolling Stone Country, Whiskey Riff, Saving Country Music and Wide Open Country, among others. The band, who’s shared stages with Cody Jinks, Cody Johnson and Miranda Lambert as well as gracing festival stages nationwide, have announced an extensive U.S. tour to support the album (scroll down for complete dates and ticket info).
The Steel Woods have captivated audiences with their powerful sound and heartfelt lyrics over their past three albums. With On Your Time, they embark on a poignant and emotional journey loosely following the trajectory of Uncle Lloyd, a charming but dissolute character first introduced on The Woods' debut album, 2017’s Straw in the Wind. This ambitious album not only showcases their musical evolution and episodic storytelling abilities but also serves as a tribute to the vision and legacy of their late co-founder, Jason "Rowdy" Cope, who passed away just before the release of their third album, All of Your Stones. Led by Wes Bayliss, the band's guitarist, lead vocalist and co-founder, The Steel Woods have poured their heart and soul into this album, creating a record that reflects their resilience, growth and unwavering spirit.
Bayliss explains what “'If Not For The Rain' means to the band. "This is a song I wrote with Taylor McCall in between recording sessions for this record,” he says. “It was the first time I’ve ever written with him. As a band, we have seen our fair share of stormy weather and now have a new-found perspective and appreciation for the journey ahead.”
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As Wide Open Country once wrote, "There's no shortage of Southern rock bands following in the revered boot steps of The Allman Brothers Band and Lynyrd Skynyrd, but The Steel Woods are honoring those forefathers while blazing their own trail. Raised on equal parts Appalachian mountain music, gospel and Zeppelin, the Nashville-based band is the perfect blend of hard-driving, gritty Southern rock and intimate country storytelling."
On Your Time stays true to this course, finding The Steel Woods committed to the vision they created in the beginning, back when fishing buddies Bayliss and Cope worked on the songs that would eventually evolve into their debut album, Straw in the Wind. It's a legacy the band is proud to carry with this powerful collection — songs that show the band has seen plenty of rain, but are keeping their eyes on those clear skies ahead.
