I Can Face The Truth
Self-Released, 2022
8/10
Listen to I Can Face The Truth
The veteran musician Dana Cooper takes help from exceptional talent like Gillian Tuite, David Starr, Brother Paul Brown and many others here, where is timeless brand of Americana brings both humor and heartfelt song craft to the 13 tracks.
Cooper opens the listen with the heartwarming and country indebted “Always Old Friends”, where soothing vocal harmonies complement the warm guitar, and the title track follows with crisp drumming, Cooper’s warm vocals and some folk influences in the cautious climate.
Further into the listen, “Ours For A Little While” offers much bare beauty amid Cooper’s poetic pipes, while “Laughing And Crying” possesses a playful quality in Cooper’s breezy and genuine spirit. “Summer In America”, one of the album’s best, then displays the depth of Cooper’s voice in the thoughtful track about the state of America.
Moving towards the end, “I Know A Girl” thumps with a more firm Americana presence that’s a bit gritty, too, and “I’m Just Passing Through Here” exits the listen with well timed lap steel to accent Cooper’s dreamy vocals and fluid acoustic guitar.
An album that was partially laid down pre-pandemic and then finished when things were safer, Cooper took the luxury of time to really make the most of each song here, and the meticulous melody and country, roots, pop and folk nods certainly make I Can Face The Truth worth much attention.
Travels well with: Eric Brace & Last Train Home- Daytime Highs & Overnight Lows; Matt North- Bullies In The Backyard