Just Fade Away
Pravda, 2023
8/10
The debut solo record from the frontman of Chicago’s The Great Crusades, Brian Krumm penned these songs during the pandemic lockdowns of 2020, where a shot of whiskey each evening for 25 days turned into 25 songs that were trimmed to 11 here.
“Barfly Friends” starts the listen with Krumm’s gritty yet inviting pipes alongside warm keys, mesmerizing guitar and much attention to mood for the reflective tone, and “Just Fade Away” follows with Jessie Hotaling’s pretty voice and Brian Wilkie’s emotive pedal steel helping make for a particularly stirring climate.
In the middle, “Easy For Your Heart To Break” uses the lively bass and crisp drums for the rugged yet sophisticated landscape that uses strings, while “Stagger Inn (Again)” offers a rich and poetic album highlight of bare versus busy Americana.
“Lost In Our Own Space” and “Wasn’t Born Yesterday” exit the listen, where the former emits spirited harmonica and thumping drums for some thicker ideas, and the latter buzzes with alt-rock nods thanks to the firm guitar, while the bright brass from Jon Boley, Rich Lapka and Justin Past adds some jazz fun to the equation.
Krumm’s influences like Robyn Hitchcock, the Jayhawks, Warren Zevon and Bob Dylan won’t go unnoticed or unappreciated, as he brings plenty of grit to rootsy moments across this powerful, diverse listen.
Travels well with: The Handcuffs- Burn The Rails; Steve Almaas- Everywhere You’ve Been