Review- The Red Clay Strays: Made by These Moments
Two years ago, The Red Clay Strays had just released their crowdfunded debut album after playing together for about six years. They were mostly playing at the same venues as they had been, but now appearing in bigger print on more festival posters and still getting from show to show in “Breezy,” their old white minibus. They embarked on their first nationwide headlining tour with a custom bus and began to sell out venues along the way. Then “Wondering Why,” a single from Moment of Truth, went viral spending a week at #1 on Spotify’s Viral 50 USA Playlist and six consecutive weeks at #1 on the Americana Singles chart. It also cracked the all-genre Billboard Hot 100, Top 10 on the Hot Rock Songs chart, and Top 20 on both the AAA and Hot Country Songs charts. Things will never be the same. Fast forward to July 26, 2024, and the band is set to release their second studio album titled Made by These Moments on RCA Records, produced by the legendary Dave Cobb and recorded at his studio in Savannah, Georgia.
Photo by Robby Klein
For new fans, on board since they first heard “Wondering Why,” check out “Moments” and “Wanna Be Loved” first, then move on to “Devil in My Ear” (already familiar with many fans) and “I’m Still Fine.” I hear an instant Outlaw Country classic in “No One Else Like Me.” How about these lyrics to paint a picture: “I’m a broken rider. I’m a restless fighter and I’m looking for a little hope. I’m a sad old thinker. I'm a worn-out blinker at the end of his rope. I’m a dead man walking, a preacher talking about love and how to be free. I’m a dying ghost with a heart like most, but Lord, Ain’t No One Else Like Me.”
Guitarist Drew Nix has a hand in writing many of the RCS songs and his song “Drowning” is one of the record’s highlights. He talks about the time not that long ago when things were very different, “In 2021, I was driving for Uber 10-12 hours a day, barely making ends meet… I remember the words and that melody coming to my mind ‘I’m drowning’ while I was headed to the gas station to pay for gas at the time to continue Ubering. The debt was piling up and I was trying to save up for a ring at the time as well. Although I knew everything would be okay in time, it felt like I was treading water as long as I could stand.” You will not hear a more soulful vocal delivery than that of lead singer Brandon Coleman.
For the fans who are drawn to the band for their Gospel side, the new record has some special treats including a full-on hand clapper in “On My Knees.” (Kudos to producer Cobb for NOT including a church choir for backing vocals; that would have been a very “Nashville'' move.) The real testimony comes on “God Does,”
“Its He who makes whole, Shining through the darkness cleaning out my soul
When I’m fighting daily battles on Him I can depend,
When I open up my heart and let Him in”
The Red Clay Strays want to remind you they are a rock n’ roll band and Made by These Moments opens with a 1-2 punch. “Disaster” showcases the twin guitars of Nix and Zach Rishel with drummer John Hall and bassman Andy Bishop holding down the bottom. It features the familiar soft start to big finish that allows Brandon to shine on vocals. Fans who have been following the band for a while will appreciate finally hearing a recording of “Wasting Time” since it’s been on the band’s live show setlist for over a year. It rocks as hard as you want… Until we get to “Ramblin.” This is where the link between Memphis and Mobile that we’ve all heard in our head is manifested. A rocker for the ages and a showstopper whenever they pull it out, this song crystallizes the joy that the Strays are bringing with them at every show. Brandon Coleman summed up his thoughts on the new record, “Made by These Moments shines a light on overcoming the battles we face in life like loneliness, depression, and hopelessness. We hope you listen and recognize that our pain has a purpose.”
The Red Clay Strays arrived on the music scene fully formed with an established identity and a firm foundation of friends and family to support them. Their music reflects the humility that is the bedrock of their collective Faith from which they do not hide. And they’re genuinely nice guys. Their debut album very clearly showed the world who they were and what they could do. Made by These Moments matches the best of those songs and raises the bar on where The Red Clay Strays can go.
Find out more about the Red Clay Strays at the links below:
