The Turnpike Troubadours have crafted a unique masterpiece in their new album A Long Way from Your Heart. Hailing from Oklahoma, this captivating band was started in 2005 and has just released their fifth studio album.
The six bandmates have a way of concocting meaningful stories combined with a slew of instruments that creates a brilliant genre-bending sound. The first song on the album entitled “The Housefire” begins with an Irish folk song melody but quickly progresses into a prime example of immersive storytelling by Evan Felker.
The next and longest song on the record “Something to Hold on to” showcases the bands extraordinary range with intermittent violin breaks and a lengthy guitar solo. “Pay No Rent” covers various topics from love to gambling with a twisting low-tenor chorus. Anybody hitting the town tonight should be blasting the most upbeat song on the album “The Hard Way.” Felker somehow captures the “Old Time Feeling” that you get when seeing someone whom you used to have feelings for knowing life will get the last laugh in the end. This song features a clever line worth quoting, “I don’t mind you playing me, just keep it in the major key.”
The Turnpike Troubadour’s finish off with my personal favorite “Sunday Morning Paper.” Over a resonating acoustic guitar background, Felker explains that’s just Rock n’ Roll. A troubadour is defined as a French medieval lyric poet - such a fitting description of this unique band. A Long Way from Your Heart is not a long way from your ears, so treat yourself to this pristine new album.