There are a few things in life that, even though you’ve experienced them before, they still manage to surprise you at how good they are. True love is on that list. The trust of a good friend. A BLT with freshly baked bread, and lettuce and tomato picked minutes ago from your own garden. On my personal list I think you can add “a new record from The Furious Seasons”. The LA trio has a new album out, Every Morning At Five, and although I’ve gushed about them in the past, I’ll be damned if I wasn’t surprised at how much I like it.
The CD opens with the title track, a declaration of love that’s triggered by nothing more than waking up next to your partner, or seeing them walk through the door. It’s rendered in the trio’s signature style of sophisticated, jazzy folk. At the other end of the disc is The Shortest Day of the Year. It’s likewise a love story, about being born near Christmas, but adds to that with a bright optimism that things will just continue to get better because “tomorrow starts anew, with just a minute or two more sunlight”. Up the Coast is more about love of family than a life partner, but it has the same feel-good vibe.
As we all know, though, that joy will be balanced with sadness and pain; you can’t escape it. What Did I Say features, like many of the tunes, guitarist Paul Nelson’s expressive, melodic runs across the frets. As the title indicates, something happened and “now I feel like I’m in your way”. On Over the Canyon, Jeff Steinhart’s bass provides the tension as impending breakup slowly builds the energy of a California winter storm. Abstract Art is “a sad story in parts”, with just “a splash of color, no soul, no heart.” Watered Down is a tale of a life best described by a drink that was long ago finished, with just the barest hint of color and taste remaining.
The complex arrangements and instrumental interplay of The Furious Seasons is, frankly, something I have a hard time describing. They’re a folk band, no doubt, but maybe string trio is a better description since it sets fewer expectations. Regardless of what you call it, I’ve rarely heard something similar, and Every Morning At Five continues that tradition of surprising me, even though I know what’s coming.
About the author: I've actually driven from Tehatchapee to Tonopah. And I've seen Dallas from a DC-9 at night.