ALBUM REVIEW :: FRITZ HUTCHISON - "WIDE WILD ACRES"

FRITZ HUTCHISON - “WIDE WILD ACRES”

Premiered via Center Cut digitally March. 28th 2020.

“After dull and dreary winters, feeling the sun on our face and the wind on our thighs seems like a far away dream. However, once you begin to feel the sun’s warmth and notice the dandelions beginning to grow, that dream becomes the sweetest of realities. That is how I felt listening to “Wide Wild Acres”. Even though we’re all suffering through a different kind of reality now, Fritz Hutchison breathed that spring feeling all around me. Dripping with country influence, trumpets, and lively guitar are the perfect combination for the new music release we all need right now.

The album’s opening lyrics, “I stay up all night every day,” are eerily relatable right now, but we quickly move on to join the waves of lovingly crafted lyrics of “Stationary”. Light and airy, this cheery track explores the desperate willingness of young love to “be anything you want me to be for free”. Continuing the mood, “Police Dogs” gives imagery of laundry water dripping from line-drying clothes and burning dogwood trees, while being supported by marching drums and some rich guitar.

Slowing things down to a gentle and dreamy vibe, “Powdered Blue” is vulnerable; flowing with Hutchison’s imaginative lyricism and beautiful touches of harmonica, piano, and an almost lively bass. It’s the album’s (deservedly) longest song, and worth every second. Still dreamy, yet more mythical, “Currach Mor” drifts with a tale of crossing County Cork, talk of a Devil’s Ladder, and meeting a loved one in a dream, topped with a touch of trumpet.

“Cold Comfort” brings us back to reality with bright piano notes and a lively brass ensemble. This tune is the perfect match for a sunny highway cruise with the windows down and your lungs bursting alongside your friends. Switching things up with the country-inspired “Wide Wild Acres”, it explodes with his full voice carried by the album’s ever present trumpet and piano. The album’s title track, it’s dusty with a touch of tragedy and twang.

The kinda plucky “Schlattering Dream” is another upbeat and picturesque love song with charming lyrics. If this song were a vegetable it would be a yellow squash, bright, crisp and versatile. Brimming with robust vocals, another strong country guitar introduces us to the cleverly named final track “Fortunate Flaws”. Complete with all the signature sounds of “Wide Wild Acres”, it’s a fitting end for such a fun piece.

Bright and drenched in warm sunlight, this album is a doubtless hit for Fritz Hutchison. His brilliant use of trumpets and incredible lyricism shine through his debut album, and is a promising beginning for an incredibly talented musician. Congrats on the album Fritz, great work!”

Review by ::

Wayne Moots

Manor Team Member & Blog Contributor.

Manor Records gives 100% of article author rights to Wayne Moots.