Father Time & Mother Nature
Lazy River, 2026
9/10
Listen to Father Time & Mother Nature
The Texas singer-songwriter Clay DuBose pens his most personal work to date, where love, loss and family are explored with his rock, blues and country hybrid.
“When Heroes Say Goodbye” starts with some ruggedness, as Mitch Marine’s thumping drums suit DuBose’s smooth pipes and Carl Byron’s well timed organ, and “Winning Streak” follows with Ted Russell Kamp’s bass guitar and acoustic guitar adding much warmth to the rootsy flavor.
In the middle, the calmer mood of “I Hope You’re Watching” recruits Sasha Smith’s cozy organ and John Schreffler’s emotive pedal steel that complements DuBose’s heartfelt singing, while “Waiting For The Day” benefits from Doug Pettibone’s meticulous guitar amid the gentle melodies.
Later on, “Growing Wild” is an energetic album highlight that makes great use of Eric Corne’s spirited harmonica and Jamie Douglas’ scrappy drumming, and “Scotch And Soda” exits with Dean Parks’ acoustic guitar and Kamp’s acoustic bass adding much to the intimate finish.
DuBose’s resume goes all the way back to the Sunset Strip scene of the ‘80s, but after staying busy in the ‘90s and early 2000’s he stepped way to focus on family. The songs here represent a lot of changes in his life, and he approaches that with mature self-reflection and timeless songwriting meshes Americana and rock superbly.
Travels well with: The Riflebirds Of Portland- April; The Far West- Everything We Thought We Wanted