The rapidly growing fanbase of Drayton Farley is about to need to put a double-decker on the bandwagon. Farley will be releasing “Twenty on High” via Hargrove Records/Thirty Tigers on March 3rd. Up until now his records have been one man DIY releases. However, that hasn’t stopped him from amassing millions of streams on Spotify alone, not to mention the other streaming platforms and physical sales. There is no doubt Drayton Farley can squeeze as much emotion out of an acoustic guitar as anyone ever has. However, “Twenty on High” is a full band recording that takes his music to another level. This is largely due to the all-star cast that joined him on this project. The album was produced by 400 Unit guitarist Sadler Vaden. Sadler for his part got other 400 Unit members to accompany him to the studio and serve as the band. The band consists of Sadler Vaden (Guitar), Chad Gamble (Drums), Jimbo Hart (Bass), Peter Levin (Piano and Organ) and Kristin Webber (Fiddle). In addition, Katie Crutchfield (Waxahatchee/Plains) sings on the song “The Alabama Moon”. The album was recorded over 5 days at Sound Emporium in Nashville.
Given the contributions on 400 Unit members, Jason Isbell comparisons are inevitable. However, Vaden’s production does a great job of capturing the raw emotion that makes up these songs. The second single from the record, “Above My Head”, is a perfect example. As Farley sings about laying awake at night you can feel the worry he bemoans, “The more there is the more there is to lose and that’s what keeps me awake”. The album immediately starts tugging at your emotions from the opening song, “Stop the Clock”, which looks back longingly at his childhood. He sings about the hard life of working for the railroad on two songs “Norfolk Blues” and the title cut “Twenty on High”. The hard work the men on the railroad put in is something he can relate to, having worked for the railroad in his home state of Alabama. He also tackles depression on the song “Something Wrong (Inside My Head)”. Farley’s lyrics are written with an insightful poetry that are as compelling as the songs themselves, and Vaden’s production on the record allows these words to breathe.
There is no doubt that the ability to work with Vaden and the 400 Unit was a big break for Drayton Farley. However, a songwriter with his chops deserves it. “Twenty on High” is certainly going to be his breakout album, and I for one hope it causes his fanbase to grow exponentially.
About the author: Chip and his family live in Birmingham, AL. Roll Tide!