Music Review // Andrew Waite "Andrew Waite"

 

https://andrewwaitemusic.com/

Andrew Waite has seem to perfected the art of finding that sound that is right on the cusp of being country but never actually goes fully into that specific genre.   With big rock guitars, this self-titled album has a 1980's / 1990's feel to it from the start, not too much unlike Huey Lewis or Bruce Springsteen.   In a more modern sense this album can also remind me of Andrew McMahon in the Wilderness.

Through keys like gospel, Andrew Waite goes into "Call Me In The Morning" with a sound like The Replacements and just that 1990's era of MPLS rock.   There are elements throughout this album as well which just make me think of the Rad Trads and that's not just because of the horns.   With killer guitars, "World's Burning Down" has big Bruce Springsteen energy.   This song also makes me think of The Wallflowers though, and that can be heard even more so in the track "It Won't Come Easy".

I really enjoy the line: "Fuck me, I might as well get stoned" on "Numb", which in some ways could sum up the entire album.   Driving rock guitars can be heard before we hit this Americana vibe on "It Won't Come Easy", which also happens to introduce the banjo to the album.  On "Dopamine", Andrew Waite name drops Bruce Springsteen and then the final song comes out with these huge acoustic plucks and it just is such a fitting end to this album.

There are layers to this self-titled album by Andrew Waite.  From rock and roll of the past to Americana, this can as easily be compared with someone such as Neil Young as it could someone on the radio today making similar rock sounds.   But that's just the thing.  I don't feel as if any other song on the radio right now sounds like what Andrew Waite is creating here.   That makes this whole album rather special and well worth your listening.