The Troth Sessions
RockinK, 2020
8/10
Rich Krueger made me a fan pretty quick with 2018’s NOWthen, and this 3rd album from the neonatologist strips the setting back to just his guitar, vocals and very imaginative mind.
“True True Love” starts the listen with Krueger’s playful, warm acoustic guitar alongside his soothing, inviting vocals where his always vivid storytelling immediately draws us in to the slightly southern influences, and “Charlie Guitar” follows with a dreamy landscape of flowing melodies in Krueger’s creative vision that touches on the blues.
In the middle, “Amazing” moves with cautious beauty and silky smooth singing, while “The Ballad Of Mary O’Connor” brings us back to September 11, where his eloquent wordplay tugs on the heartstrings of this very tragic day. “The One You Love”, one of the album’s best, then offers timeless singer-songwriter prowess where Krueger makes his craft seem effortless in his vast, folk friendly skill.
Close to the end, “There’s A Wideness In God’s Mercy” recruits a gospel angle amid the emotive delivery, and “Heaven” exits the listen with an adventurous quality that abruptly shifts into a speedy finish of vocal acrobatics.
Culled from demos recorded in 2002, though Krueger didn’t release his debut until 2018, his interest in playing music goes back many decades, and here the doctor proves that his humble folks songs settle in like an old friend with a familiar, comforting and wise execution.
Travels well with: Peter Stampfel & The Bottle Caps- Demo ‘84; Gerry Spehar- Anger Management