Review- Nicholas Jamerson: Peace Mountain
Nicholas Jamerson has done it again. Over the last decade, he has put together quite a catalog to tickle the ears and tug on the heartstrings of many with his songs of home, love, and loss. Peace Mountain is no different. Thirteen tracks make up this album from happy-go-lucky tunes like “Strangers” and “Holler Child” to the heart wrenching “Mr. Buzzard” and “This Ain’t Supposed Happen in Our Town,” Jamerson delivers what may be one of the most eclectic records of 2023.
“Peace Mountain is the follow up to The Wild Frontier,” said Jamerson. “I’ve thought about it [The Wild Frontier] as a trilogy and I was really caught up in the story I was trying to tell.” He also says that Peace Mountain is more about “Enjoying the process and not getting so caught up in what I was trying to say, rather just playing the songs I had been practicing the most the past two years.”
It’s hard to convey a feeling in so many words. Sometimes, a feeling is better felt through soundwaves crashing over your ears. The amount of feeling and emotion one might feel as they listen to Nicholas Jamerson’s fresh new record, Peace Mountain, is captivating, and this work of art has a little bit of everything. In a matter of five months, Jamerson and the band whipped up a good amount of country, paired with a taste of Appalachian psychedelia, a spoonful of bluegrass, and a dash of blues mixed up into a wonderful listening experience throughout its entirety.
Jamerson lets us know a lot about himself and his vision in these songs: Just like when your grandma would fix up a nice quilt; these kinds of songs and stories take a lot of time and patience to put them together right. With Peace Mountain, Jamerson has taken the time to assemble an all-star line up behind him in the studio. A listener in-the-know might even be able to recognize a voice or two harmonizing from track to track. You may recognize names like Brother Smith, Chris Justice, Zach Martin, Don Rogers, Chelsea Nolan, Emily Jamerson, Magnolia Boulevard and Charles Wesley Godwin.
There are a couple of singles that are readily available for your listening pleasure. Until the entirety of Peace Mountain is laid out for the world, listeners may enjoy tracks like “I Love Blue,” featuring Magnolia Boulevard, “Holler Child,” “Lexington,” “Billy Graham Parkway” and the title track, “Peace Mountain” featuring Charles Wesley Godwin. Of the so far released tracks, the one that gives me the best feelings is “Holler Child,” especially near the end of the song when he says, “Now he’s on the strip job riding four wheelers in the sky, up above the eagles, that boy could always fly.”
I knew a good ol' fella who loved to ride the hills, and when I hear that line I always think of him, beer in hand, cigarette in mouth, and giving that side-by-side hell, climbing towards the sky. When a song can transport you to another place, it has done a proper job.
Nicholas Jamerson has been a Kentucky Music staple for many years and will be for years to come. Jamerson’s latest release, Peace Mountain, is one that will be talked about for a long time. He has some really fun songs and some heavy hitters on this record and you need to get them in your ears. This whole record makes you feel good. From the time you hit play, til the final note at the end the listener is completely captivated by not only the lyrics but the wonderful production.
Pick up a copy of Peace Mountain and catch Nicholas Jamerson at Sleeping in the Woods Songwriter Festival in Monticello, KY on May 19th and 20th. This festival will feature wonderful acts like Bella White, Katie Toupin, Bee Taylor and many, many more. In a world where most festival lineups are stacked with male performers, Jamerson and his team have curated a properly balanced lineup that you will not want to miss. Make sure to grab your tickets and come be a part of the release of Peace Mountain.
Find out more about Nicholas at the links below:
