Damascene moments are unique and, of course, revelatory things. Jack Nolan‘s came when he realized that all the great artists that he held in the highest regard were working with the same few chords, the same notes and patterns that he was. That the answer was not about trying to change the musical landscape, that is, after all, only ever an added bonus that a few rare souls manage to do, but to take the same building blocks and just try to forge them into great songs. The Lonely Petunia sees him still doing just that on this, his eighth album!
Eight songs that are so finally crafted that he presents them in very sparse formats, often just a spacious guitar or a restrained piano line, a few adornments, some additional musical motifs, and that’s it. A reminder that the song is not found in what is added after the effect, but was always contained in the germ of the original idea.
“Extraordinary” is well named: not only a song that stands out for its deft, delicate beauty, but also for its gentle cascades, slowly cocooned in brilliant, brooding strings. “Craw” is bluesy, groovesome, and authentic, “Will the Lord Have Mercy on Me” is folky and vulnerable, and “Fading Fast” is a pop ballad full of rich poetry and woven of lush and lingering sounds.
Not only is this a great album, but it also reminds us that songs work because their hearts are robust, creative, and engaging. You can add layers of sonics and build clever gizmos and gimmicks into your song, but do that and you will never write anything as honest and heartfelt, real and relatable as the songs found here.
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