Beyond The Borders
Self-Released, 2022
9/10
The Los Angeles musician James Houlahan returns with a 6th studio album of his alt-folk formula, where Fernando Perdomo, Danny Frankel and Scarlet Rivera, among others, are on hand for a more light and groove filled affair than his previous work.
“Far From Me” starts the listen with Houlahan’s warm voice and gentle acoustic guitar in the eloquent folk climate, and “Back To The Start” follows with a punchy and crisp version of country rock, where Joel Martin’s pedal steel is quite inviting in what might be one of the best songs in recent history.
Entering the middle, the dreamy, intimate “Wave On Wave” emits plenty of hushed beauty, while “Through The Water” brings both ruggedness and elegance to a rootsy flavored tune that really showcases Frankel’s strong drumming.
Deeper on the back half, “And The Horses Began To Dance” is heavy on atmosphere with spoken word that benefits from soulful backing vocals, and “You Are Free” exits with an upbeat appeal that’s rhythmic, flowing and truly illustrates Houlahan’s intricate guitar playing.
During the pandemic, Houlahan nearly walked away from playing music. Thankfully, he found inspiration and the songs starting rushing in, and with that came this richly textured, lyrically substantial and musically diverse peek into the mind of a highly creative and underrated songwriter.
Travels well with: Veronica Stanton- Caught Up On A Feeling; Derek Hoke- Electric Mountain