That’s Why We Stand
New Folk, 2023
8/10
A charity compilation of songs that honors those who have served, the tunes here come from legends we’re all familiar with, as well as new names we should also be acquainted with.
Rockie Lynne’s “We Want To Thank You” opens the listen with the smooth and fluid country rock that’s full of emotion and power, and “Home From Iraq”, by Geoff Elvee, follows with warm acoustic guitar and soft singing that builds into a soaring and fiddle friendly climate.
Further into the listen, the intimacy of “Quietly” allows Beyond The Badlands to emit both grit and melody amid the sincere delivery, while The Charlie Daniels Band’s thumping and soulful “Iraq Blues” is both dense and harmonic.
Landing near the end, “Keep It Up” brings John Schneider’s inimitable vocals alongside Mike Huckabee for the anthemic and breezy ideas, and “God Bless America” presents the stunning guitar playing from Doyle Dykes that puts an exciting spin on the timeless track.
All the artists donated their work without any fees, and all proceeds will go to guitars4vets.org, which is an organization that helps out those who paid the ultimate sacrifice and should always be honored.
Travels well with: Robert Hale- Blue Haze; Gary Brewer- 40th Anniversary Celebration