Head West
Owen Lee, 2023
8/10
Despite living in Minnesota, I’ve never listened to a Gear Daddies record. Not that I’ve had any reason not to, it’s just that the occasion never arrived. However, that didn’t stop me from enjoying these 11 songs from Marin Zellar- the frontman and songwriter for Gear Daddies.
The title track opens with Scott Wenum’s crisp drums complementing Zellar’s expressive pipes in the upbeat and melodic climate, and “The Road Led Here” follows with Clementine Zellar-Beaudot’s playful percussion and Brian Beken’s well timed banjo and mandolin populating the rhythmic delivery.
Further along, “Boats Slowly Sinking” welcomes Presley Haile’s soothing backing vocals and Randy Broughten’s pedal steel to the richness, while “Goodbye Wild Bill” showcases Dominic Ciola’s skilled bass amid Geoff Queen’s hazy pedal steel that illuminates Zellar’s vivid storytelling.
“Big City Man” and “Forty Years Along” exit the listen, where the former benefits from Wilson Zellar’s fluid guitar and Pat Manske’s animated percussion, and the latter finishes with a poetic appeal that’s heartfelt and stirring.
A family affair, Zellar’s kids all play on or engineered the record, and though the alt-country ideas of his full band are present, the diverse Americana bleeds into every moment of this thoughtful and textured listen.
Travels well with: Robby Vee- Double Spin; Chris Murphy- The Road And The Stars