Anybody Out There?
Thirty Tigers, 2020
9/10
Perhaps best known as a member of Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit, the longtime musician and guitar enthusiast Sadler Vaden returns with a sophomore solo album where hooks, melodies and timeless song craft draws comparisons to Cheap Trick, Joe Walsh and even The Who.
The albums starts out with the warm melodies of “Next To You”, which carries an anthemic quality that builds into louder rootsy rock, and “Don’t Worry” follows with a calm, folky approach where smooth vocals and emotive introspection highlight the affair.
Near the middle, “Anybody Out There?” brings some blues rock to the fun with both rugged and tuneful qualities, while ‘Curtain Call” enters ballad territory with sublime beauty as light keys add much to the soulfulness that takes an obvious nod to Tom Petty. “Peace + Harmony”, the album’s best, then delivers a punchy tune with a great chorus, strong guitar work and immediately memorable landscape.
Near the end, “Good Man” is a close 2nd for the standout tune as Vaden sings with much conviction on the country inspired rocker, and “Tried And True” ends the listen with a great sing-along of gritty rock’n’roll that flirts with power-pop, too.
A superb record that’s instantly ingrained in your mind from the first spin, Vaden offers plenty of solos in his multi-faceted rock’n’roll approach that would be appreciated in any decade since the ‘60s.
Travels well with: Aaron Lee Tasjan- Karma For Cheap; Daniel Romano- Modern Pressure