Lonely Comes Easy
Chris Jones & The Night Drivers
Rebel, 2013
REVIEW BY: Curtis Jones
ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED: 09/15/2013
Chris Jones has been one of those guys who has hovered in the background of the music scene for years but has recently emerged as a recognizable face. He has long been a songwriter and performer with moderate attention. But more recently, his gigs as a broadcaster on satellite radio and writing for a well-read bluegrass blog have increased his reach. And then there is the band he fronts – Chris Jones & The Night Drivers.
The group’s 2013 effort, Lonely Comes Easy, is a worthwhile listen. If you think bluegrass music is all about sounding all high and whiny, this will turn that thinking on its head. Chris has a rich deep baritone voice, and the quiet, mellow harmonies that the group builds around him are mellifluous. Add to that a strong writing sense and some muted but still noticeable musicianship, and you have a collection of good music. The songs paint incredible tableaus in their lyrics. From the lonely abandoned man in “Lonely Comes Easy,” to the forbidden eloping love in “You’re My Family Now,” and even the macho manliness of “Too Hard To Say I’m Sorry” give vivid impressions of the stories being told. None of your obtuse pop ramblings here.
There are a few twists that make the album interesting, too. There is a slow, forgotten version of “Wake Up Little Maggie” resurrected here. Fans of traditional music will likely recognize this as a tune which Ralph Stanley does as a rip roaring bluegrass foot-tapper. Here, Jones takes us back to the original. Much more like the slow Doc Watson version, starting off a cappella and bringing in instruments one by one. It is a haunting, mesmerizing tune. Jones’ sense of humor, often found on the pages of his bluegrass blog writings, is clear in the story contained in “Wolf Creek Pass.” Two spiritual tracks, “One Who's Coming After Me” and “A Few More Years,” are absolutely gorgeous.
The word I would use to describe the sound of Chris Jones & The Night Drivers is rich. They are rich in tone, and rich in the depth of their songs. This easily makes Lonely Comes Easy a great album.