Long Way From Las Cruces
Boot Strap, 2021
8/10
Listen to Long Way From Las Cruces
The Texas native and current New Mexico resident Josh Grider returns with a 5th album, where an open schedule due to the pandemic allowed him to really focus on these 8 well thought out and stirring songs.
Grider opens the listen with the bouncy, warm and classic country inspired title track that soars with plenty of twang, and “Thank God It’s Raining” follows with a calmer approach of rugged yet tuneful rural rock.
“Can You Feel Me Missing You” lands in the middle and recruits plenty of beauty amid the poetic, reflective climate, while “Two Truths And A Lie” gets a bit thicker with hazy pedal steel to complement the dreamy, sublime album highlight.
Moving towards the end, “I Know I Love You” makes great use of keys in the bare but powerful landscape, and “Boots On My Feet” exits the listen with Grider’s smooth pipes and proficient acoustic guitar guiding the breezy, rootsy finish.
Grider is joined by names like Brady Owen (electric guitar), Jeff Botta (drums, percussion) and Zach Moulton (steel guitar), among many others, and together they continue his consistently timeless, country spirited song craft that is all substance and no flash.
Travels well with: Rob Williams- Weathering The Storm Vol. 1; Julian Taylor- The Ridge