Music Review // Wayne Merdinger "Troubadour (EP)"

 

https://open.spotify.com/album/0OdTuoJKoHyME3mtubJJHg?si=9UciHIzyS8qTDYFGhStUYg&nd=1

Every so often an EP comes along like this one here by Wayne Merdinger and it just makes me love music all over again.   There is just something about hearing these sort of Americana/folk/country rock songs that reminds me of the first time I heard music and every bit of good music I've heard since then.   The sound on "Troubadour" just feels so familiar, it's almost as if it would be how you would describe music if someone asked you for an example.

With those slick guitar riffs, Wayne Merdinger can bring about thoughts of Fastball but the overall vibe of this EP is just that of a sound that isn't offensive and I think everyone can find something about it to enjoy.  "Nebraska Bay" starts off quieter, with darker acoustics and reminds me of a song such as "Simple Man".   This, on only the second song, sets the pace that this EP is just full of songs that could be those rock singles for years to come.

Lyrically, there are lines such as "We don't belong / But we're here anyway" on "Nebraska Bay", which can be related to upon various levels of meaning.   Just having that overall feeling of not belonging is something I think anyone can struggle with throughout their life.  The lyrics take an interesting turn on the titular track, which states "He was a poet / He was a clown" and it just feels like this contradiction of a person.

While listening to the titular track though, it gives me a sense of someone such as Robin Williams, though I feel like it might actually be about a musician.   The more I listen to it though, the more I think that maybe it isn't about any particular person and more the idea of what someone could be.   I think, especially as the titular track, that is a great way to sum up this EP because it isn't just about what's on the surface of rock music but also what it could mean to the listener.