67,000 Miles An Album
Turn-Up, 2022
9/10
Listen to 67,000 Miles An Album
The 15th solo album from an original member of the ‘60s heroes The Doughboys, the multi-instrumentalist Richard X. Heyman continues with his diverse power-pop ways that even welcomes strings and brass to the affair.
The album leads with the Brit-pop nods and harpsicord complementing the warm harmonies of “You Can Tell Me”, and “Misspent Youth” follows with a bit more firmness to the dreamy, ‘60s sensibilities that’s textured richly.
Further on, “Washington Rock” is a bit jangly in a retro folk-rock sort of way, while “History” offers speedy, blue-rock ideas mixed into the thick riffs and very busy yet controlled climate.
Arriving closer to the end, the sweet vocal harmonies, agile guitar and meticulous bass lines of “High Line Scenes” help make this the album’s best, and the title track exits the listen with 3 parts that recruits tuneful pop-rock, flourishing synth bouts and even jam band stabs that you won’t soon forget.
Although this is mostly a one man show, Heyman does take help from Nancy Leigh, his wife, on bass and harmony vocals, Julia Kent on cello, Chris Jenkins on viola and Probyn Gregory’s brass prowess. Much like everything he’s been a part of, 67,000 Miles An Album is an eclectic and accomplished body of work that further solidifies Heyman as one of the best songwriters alive today.
Travels well with: Tim Foljahn- I Dreamed A Dream; The Handcuffs- Burn The Rails