Rock Alone is the latest album by Asheville North Carolina hurricane Helene survivor Ryan Anderson, the album was completed before disaster struck. The album is as usual a home recording these days in the Basement rather than the bedroom and was mixed and mastered by Jason Nesmith.
The album opens with the piano led Shapeshiftin' Demon it may sound gentle, but the lyrics are bitter and twisted, eventually it explodes in pain at all the grief they've been caused, while they try to dance the pain away, imagining that love is there's for the taking on that dancefloor of life.
Rock Alone is for those trying to survive climate change and financial inequality, that may scare the hell out of you, this pulses along like a weird cross between Ben Folds and Steve Earle the vocals are pure heartlands pain. Trying to find that vision, being able to create among the hard struggle.
Ghost Heart may channel Jack & Diane, he reads a postcard and drowns his sorrows, for the pain of what drove you apart that July night, strings bend wrenching at your heart, dreaming you're the love child of Prince and Roky Erikson.
Burial Insurance states that it was written to pay for his funeral, but isn't as bleak as it sounds, but in a country with no safety net, such planning becomes more important for those scrabbling to get by.
The B-side opens with Here On Out is burnished heartlands rock for a dark drive time, pointing out the pain of modern times, knowing you will always struggle to get by, in a similar vein to Joe Normal in looking out for the near defeated and was written as Ryan's wedding vows that took place in a bookshop in Asheville.
Memories ReRun adds a synthpop twist to the never ending of the reruns he has going round in his head. Can he live without glory and survive the pain, enjoying the great advances of our time.
The albums main single Scorpio Sting is the venom your love desires shoots into you, keeping you addicted to their love, do you crave that sting or are you hoping to escape the clutches.
The album closes with Nightmare Rider a song full of fear and dread for being forced apart from the one you love, conquer those that don’t believe your love is real.
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