Jason Eady: To the Passage of Time
“What do we do when we get back to normal / And we find ourselves out in the world again
What do we do when we get back to normal / And we find we’re somewhere we ain’t never been”
Jason Eady has given us the best summary of the pandemic I’ve yet heard in “Back to Normal,” on his new release, To the Passage of Time.
Photo by Brandon Aguilar
The ten tracks all feature the resonant vocals of Eady supported by thoughtful arrangements which provide the perfect backdrop for tremendous songs. No matter what the subject of the song, Jason Eady’s voice draws you in and makes you believe. Whether it’s the recitation of a grandfather’s life story in “French Summer Sun,” or the more lighthearted “Saturday Night,” that voice just wraps around the lyrics and carries you along. You want to cheer for the narrator in “Gainesville” and hope he really is going back when he says, “I mean it this time,” and you understand completely when he sings, “There’s a lot more to living than just being alive,” in “Possibilities.”
Gordy Quist of the Band of Heathens was chosen to produce the record. I got a chance to chat with him this summer and he just lit up when I mentioned the project. He was proudest of the musicians on the album including Noah Jeffries on mandolin and fiddle, Mark Williams on upright bass and cello, Brian Ferguson on drums, and Geoff Queen on Dobro, pedal steel, and lap steel. They don’t play a lot but when they do it's perfect. Quist had a minimalist approach to many of the tracks and let Jason’s voice and the superb lyrics shine with the musical accompaniment in a supporting role. The musicians get their chances to shine, however, with a beautiful mandolin solo in “Luxury of Dreaming,” and the cello and pedal steel parts in “Nothing on You.”
There are three essential elements to any recording: vocals, song lyrics, and musical arrangement. Jason Eady’s To the Passage of Time checks all the boxes and delivers a delightful collection of great songs with thoughtful playing and one of the all-time great voices.
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