Music Review // Andrew Browning "Econoline"

 

Andrew Browning has created a sound which is perfect for this song "Econoline" because there is a certain drive to it.   When you think of that classic rock n roll style of music, such as ZZ Top and Steppenwolf, with artists who are just the soundtrack to being on the highways of America, "Econoline" is a song that fits in with that playlist like a glove.   At times, it can also remind me of Grand Funk Railroad, so there is definitely more of a classic rock feel than a modern sound in here.

If you happen to be unfamiliar with what an Econoline is exactly it is in plain terms a van.  There are different versions of it (as you can Google and see) but I've always kind of been a fan of the 1989 Ford E-150 Econoline Club Wagon because it just has this classic look to it.  To me, it reminds me of rock n roll from a certain era and while there are Econoline vans without windows as well, I think the windows (and the windows having curtains) is what really makes this version so great.  I like to imagine people driving in this van, as Andrew Browning sings about in this song, are just traveling the country and the road is their home.

One of the lyrics I really enjoy in this song is "I work from place to place / From job to job with low pay / The family I've got is the family I've made / I've got a gun to keep me safe"   This not only shows that things are tough out there in the economy and it would make sense to move around to find better work, but also that things can get tough if you're parked somewhere and so you needed that added protection as well.  I very much feel like these lyrics embrace the vision of this song.

With soulful keys and driving guitars "Econoline" feels like it might end around the four minute mark but it returns for a blistering guitar solo and musical break down.   While there are some aspects of life which are keeping me from doing so now, I do think that at some point in the future time of my life I'd enjoy living out of a van and traveling around the country as such.  Andrew Browning has definitely helped feed that inspiration and when I eventually come to that point in life as well, I'll be glad this song is stuck in my head.