Harmonic Dirt Celebrating New Album at Funk & Waffles Release Party

Syracuse-based band Harmonic Dirt released a fantastic new album in December and is celebrating at Funk ‘n Waffles with a special release concert on January 30th. Tumbleweeds features ten tracks that flow together smoothly and is the fifth record by the group, following Anthracite, Live At The Ridge, Rhode Island Street, and Blame The Horizon.

The album opens with “Walking The Black Dog” which intros with a fun mandolin solo that keeps the entire track upbeat with catchy hooks and clean guitar solos. The title track begins like a Woody Gurthrie storytelling saga and is again uptempo as we roll along with the imagery of life on the road. “Nebraska Ave,” the third track, has a bluesy, bluegrass sway that instantly soothes the listener into a beautiful rocking lullaby.

“He’s a cowboy and you’re a poet. He’s a rebel and you’re a woman. He’s a loose cannon on your shoulder. He’s everything I cannot be…”

The fourth track, “She’s Got A Lot Of Things” reminds one of Neil Young’s Harvest or Dylan’s Nashville Skyline. Simple yet moving lyrics and toe-tapping vibes mixed perfectly. “The Weather” features Susan Colman on vocals and has a folksinger’s heart with a bluegrass feel. When the harmonies come together, it lingers like the sweet harmonies of Peter, Paul, and Mary; an entertaining tune. The sixth song, “Five Dollar Bills” is upbeat and again, very catchy with a fun harmonica part playing along. It sounds like a song we already know in the best of ways and could be a great radio hit with Traveling Wilbury similarities. “Deep Blue Water” opens with a pedal steel intro that swims along nicely with a vibrant mandolin, excellent harmonies, and more beautiful lyrics of melancholy heartbreak.

“What Do You Have For Me” is a perfect Americana song, along the lines of The Band or Levon Helm’s later records with Larry Campbell.

“If all your wishes were weighted feathers, we struck the iron when it was all in the ground, I know you always have all the answers, and I pray you never stop putting me down.”

The ninth track, “24 Hours In Philly” is a dreamy sequence of mythology and a song beautifully written to match.

“Too Old To Die Young” closes out Tumbleweeds with a hint of more country than the rest of the record. But it blends perfectly with the rest of the album and calls back to just how well Harmonic Dirt works together through each song and exhibits their maturity throughout their career.

“You wouldn’t mind another chance another chance to hit rewind.”

We will be dropping the needle for another listen for sure. Congratulations to Harmonic Dirt and their amazing new record. You can follow them for more information on shows and their record release party on Instagram and Facebook. Tickets for the January 30 show are available here. The show is free, but reservations are encouraged through the Funk ‘n’ Waffles website.

Harmonic Dirt is a collaboration of multi-instrumentalist Mike Gridley and lyricist and bassist Susan Coleman based in Central New York. They are joined by Taylor Bucci on banjo and vocals, and James DaRin on percussion. The husband and wife duo of Coleman and Gridley are prolific songwriters, developing stories that draw from the rich heritage of American folk and roots music, but also weaving themes from literature, historical events, and personal observations into the mix. Their five albums (Anthracite, Live At The Ridge, Rhode Island Street, Blame The Horizon, and their newest release, Tumbleweeds.) showcase the breadth of their musical and lyrical influences while providing familiar reference points to sixties folk-rock, Harvest-era Neil Young, as well as alt-country in the vein of the Jayhawks.

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