Music Review // Reid Parsons "Back to Back" (album)

If you've been following along with the singles released by Reid Parsons building up to the release of "Back to Back", you will note that the first three songs on this album were all released as singles: the titular track, "Get Out Of Bed" and most recently "Lightbulb".  For whatever reason if you haven't been paying attention you'll get to hear some smooth sax through these mellow songs which also feature heavy on the keys.   This brings us into "Heavy Load", which sings a lot about swimming and also has that bluesy guitar solo.

One of the things which I learned by listening to "Back to Back" as a complete album- as opposed to hearing the singles before- is that it can paint this broader picture that you won't get until you make it until the end.   A song like "Show Me You Love Me" has that coffee house jazz way with the horns and winds, but these are all elements which make their way back in later songs as well.  "Holiday" has a flute solo and then a big sax solo as well, which feels like a call back to the first song.   As you notice these elements reappear, it will begin to put together the entire sound of the album with all of its various elements.

"Figure It Out" has lighter acoustics and turns into French before the end.  Deep bass strings and the return of the trumpet are in here as well.   "Same Old" comes out more country and brings out the lyrics about how one can find solace in familiarity.  The song also features the line: "Control is an illusion any way", which is just one example of how the lyrics can become quotable.   As the last song comes out with slower acoustics, I'm reminded of Elvis Presley (which becomes a theme on the album, but again isn't made as apparent until the end)  In true blues fashion we have the lyric: "I'm lonesome all the time".

From the acoustics that can make this feel like a country or folk vibe to the way it can just flow to what you might hear at a coffee house in that jazz / blues way as well, Reid Parsons just has this unique voice which comes out in the music as well as the vocals.   Lyrically this will take you on a journey and have you picking out lines you enjoy one by one, while the music all comes together in a way which is exactly how an album should.  This is not just a mere collection of songs but should be listened to from start to finish.