![]() But Runaway often does not move beyond the abilities of Ana and the Black Mamba and the likes. That said, Passenger usually varies his tune better than most. Great beginnings, ending in a car wreck already after a mile or so, right in the middle of the road. With a bland song structure that is so boringly mainstream, it drives me to tears. That they program a filler track straight after that one will forever remain a mystery to me. A fitting start, delicious with the underlying banjo in the background. Hell or High Water already sets the tone with a fondue-laden song about the elusiveness of human relations. So all of those ingredients must have whelped good tracks. That would have lent an old, hackneyed, and musty stereotype a fresh coat of paint. Sometimes I wonder why they did not get us a whiff of motorcycles and easy riders. Banjo, mariachi trumpets and all that jazz included. To top it and true to the theme, you’ll find a Passenger gang in there much inclined towards Country and alt-Country sounds. To find his inner self in the heartland, apparently. This project very much reminds me of the soul-searching trip Niedecken (BAP) did a few years ago. And sometimes the record delivers faint echoes of old concoctions like Elton John’s Tumbleweed Connection or Uncle Tupelo’s highway themes. You’ll find a sort of homesick wistfulness on Runaway, like in some of them diaries you unearth in somebody’s attic. Judging by the remarks I read, it appears it was a journey of the heart for Rosenberg, who is half American. Which explains the excellent Forrest Gump analogy on the album cover that got on my good side straight away. With – as the lore goes – every song dedicated to a new spot. And truly, in (almost) all of the clips Mike Rosenberg gets himself in a running fit. In other words, Passenger careened about the neatest spots of the US of A in search of the right tune. Based on a road trip Mike Rosenberg and his band of merry warriors undertook, with a video pretty much at every location. Passenger present a very strong concept album this time. The one buzzing about the countryside like Speedy Gonzales. Superman ain’t in it.īut here we got Runaway. So, hey, you can’t get it right every time. Even if this one contains pretty sturdy tracks like Anywhere with its funky beat. I have been less than amused with the 2016 record Young as the Morning, Old as the Sea. And indeed, this is the mighty rocky mountain that this particular artist currently tries to vanquish. Even if these two contained many sins that truly chipped away at their overall ratings. Sadly there aren’t any tracks in contention this time around.To beat Passenger records with the allure of All The Little Lights or Whispers will be difficult, to say the least. However he’s yet to write another song that will rise to the heights of ‘Let Her Go’ with ‘Anywhere’ from Young as the Morning, Old as the Sea being it’s closest rival. Those wanting something different from Rosenberg should know better by now, and those returning for more will be delighted to extend their Passenger catalogue. The blues tinted track ‘Sweet Louise’, although questionably similar sounding to the Beatles ‘Don’t Let Me Down’, fantastically displays this development and further movement from solo artist to a fully fledged band. Unlike The Lumineers’ second album Cleopatra which was a very safe (almost boring) move following their first, it’s clear that Passenger knows where his strengths lay and kudos to him for firmly sticking to them and perfecting himself as a performer over the last eight years. However the simplicity of Rosenberg’s music, most notably track ‘And I Love Her’ from the album, showcases his superb lyrical and finger-style guitar playing skill that makes you question whether any departure from this music would be healthy. It’s clear that Passenger knows where his strengths lay ![]() Since his first solo album Wide Eyes Blind Love in 2009, Rosenberg has continued to refine his folk formula, but hasn’t evolved, experimented or changed his musical direction in the way Bob Dylan picked up an electric guitar or Ben Howard drastically distanced himself from traditional folk music through I Forget Where We Were. Before even breaking into the album we know what to expect at this point, and hats off to Mike Rosenberg because he does it so well the familiar acoustic guitar driven chord shaped melodies, the rough smoker’s soulful voice and the more recent musical layers that comes from playing in a collaborative band. Eight albums already in, Passenger is back for one last time before he takes a long deserved break, adding an additional 10 tracks to his already officially released 89.
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