Anderson East

Anderson East – Maybe We Never Die (2021)
FLAC (tracks) 24 bit/96 kHz | Time – 42:16 minutes | 869 MB | Genre: Soul, Soft Rock
Studio Masters, Official Digital Download | Front Cover | © Low Country Sound – Elektra

Maybe We Never Die, Anderson East’s third release for Elektra / Low Country Sound takes the Alabama born, Nashville-based singer-songwriter’s seductively vintage voice in a decidedly fresh direction. The 12 tracks flow together with an overarching sense of ambience but maintain distinct musical boundaries. The energy toggles between a hunger for vulnerability in togetherness and a clinging to solitude as a romantic self-defense. There is consternation with the speed and volume at which the world operates and solace to be found in the simple act of getting up and going. And the beguiling title track, with its woozy strings swirling around East’s celestial falsetto as it curls towards the ceiling like smoke is, as they say, a whole mood; a sense of a single night’s dusk-to-sunrise contemplation. Collaborating once again with Dave Cobb along with longtime bandleader and now co-producer Philip Towns, East has found an enticing new avenue, one that maintains a connection to his past but keeps his eyes on the road ahead.

“I wanted to create something unique with this record,” says East. “A piece of music, that as a whole, knew where its footing was but yet still attempted to see what was behind the curtains. I’m very proud of what it took to make and its ultimate outcome. I am very grateful to the wonderfully talented humans that lent their gifts to make it what it is.” (Anderson East)
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Anderson East – Encore (2018)
FLAC (tracks) 24 bit/96 kHz | Time – 40:48 minutes | 895 MB | Genre: Country
Studio Masters, Official Digital Download | Front Cover | © Low Country Sound – Elektra

This seems like a crucial moment for Anderson East. With Encore, the artist born in Alabama leaves the keys of the production to the excellent Dave Cobb and entrusts the writing of some titles to experts such as Chris Stapleton (King For A Day and If You Keep Leaving Me) and Ed Sheeran (All on My Mind). His Southern roots solidly surface in his blend of country and soul music (If You Keep Leaving Me will make you think of Otis Redding) or blues (Somebody Pick Up My Pieces). At the heart of this fusion of classic American music, Anderson East even slips covers of Ted Hawkins (Sorry You’re Sick) and Willie Nelson (Somebody Pick Up My Pieces). With a perfect balance between vintage country soul sonorities and a still very contemporary approach, Encore is an endearing mainstream disc. It’s a work that most of all proves that his music is there to last. And what a voice he has too!
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Anderson East – Alive In Tennessee (Live) (2019)
FLAC (tracks) 24 bit/48 kHz | Time – 01:30:48 minutes | 1,05 GB | Genre: Rock
Studio Masters, Official Digital Download | Front Cover | © Low Country Sound – Elektra

Recorded at the legendary Ryman Auditorium as Anderson East was pushing his 2018 album Encore, Alive in Tennessee is a double-live set that was originally released for Record Store Day 2019, then it popped up digitally a few weeks later. While it’s certainly designed for the faithful — not only was its physical release limited, it runs a hefty 90 minutes, a length that naturally winnows audiences to the dedicated — Alive in Tennessee makes a convincing case for East’s skills as as an Americana troubadour. Whether he’s fronting a crackerjack band or sitting behind a piano, he’s a convincing performer, selling his blend of retro-soul and sinewy country-rock. His lean, open-hearted energy could convince skeptics, but perhaps what’s more impressive is how the focused nature of a concert reveals that East has developed a sturdy songbook that indeed comes alive on-stage. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine
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