Freight dig deep and get under your skin with their magnificent, moving and multi-layered new album Old Bones — showcasing today on Tinnitist.
The sophomore album from the Ithaca, N.Y. band fronted by singer-guitarist JP Payton, Old Bones seamlessly and flawlessly blends stirring old-school songcraft with strikingly stylish production. Earthy and ethereal, raw-boned and rich, immersive and impeccably crafted, this 10-song set comfortably inhabits the sweet spot between country, folk, roots-rock and Cosmic American Music. Time and again, twangy licks, solid basslines and clattery drums co-exist with psychedelic swirls, sizzling solos, cavernous reverb and spacious arrangements. What holds it all together are Payton’s woodsmoke vocals and honest, plainspoken lyrics about love and death, loss and belonging, and other fundamental aspects of the human condition.
Opening track Big Bright Moon, with its singalong chorus, is an ode to the highway and the meditative headspace of late-night drives. With the moon on the rise and a heart full of worry, Payton beckons its company:
“Big bright moon gonna carry me home
Been out on that road too long
Keep on shining, don’t you ever let go
Big bright moon gonna carry me home.”
The title track is a tearjerker somewhere between Beck’s One Foot In The Grave and Willie Nelson’s Red Headed Stranger. It reflects on the struggle of putting old passions to rest — perhaps a deeper grave is needed, as Payton sings: “Is it any wonder, such a shallow grave cannot contain? Old bones are restless, not even death can tame.”
The spiritual Found A Love celebrates the miracle of new life, marking Payton’s first song inspired by fatherhood. A reversed piano track gives way to a slippery Appalachian melody as Lovin’ Arms evolves into a prog-rock ripper on the power of lucid dreams. Meanwhile, Travesty pays a gauzy tribute to friends who have passed on, especially when fundraising is needed for a physical memorial.
The upbeat country of New Coat beckons listeners to head south for the winter, while Cry Honey is a neo-rockabilly number filled with classic genre-appropriate innuendo. Somehow is a powerhouse duet, an anthemic affirmation of love, and a song that would feel right at home on modern country radio. Skyrocket is grungy and raw, echoing Neil Young’s Rust Never Sleeps. The danceable Too Much fuses a roots-based melody with a backbeat that suggests reggae and old-time music share more than meets the ear.
Armed with the art-rock inclinations of Wilco, the rootsy swagger of Sturgill Simpson, the understated cool of Tom Petty, the emotional depth of Jason Isbell and the trippy sonics of Grateful Dead, Old Bones cements Freight’s place as an adventurous yet deeply rooted band. With soaring pedal steel, syncopated acoustic guitars, bombastic choruses, and innovative production, Freight make a bold statement as a top-tier original band in the wider Americana and Roots scene.
Old Bones was recorded at Grass Alley in Chicago, Sunwood Studios in Trumansburg, N.Y., and Electric Wilburland in Newfield, N.Y. It was produced by Jaime Gartelos. In addition to Payton, Freight includes drummer Bowman Townsend, bassist Mike Brando and vocalist Loveday Greene.
Listen to Old Bones below and head on over to Freight’s website, Instagram and Facebook.
