Adam KeysThomas Wynn and The Believers – Wade Waste Deep (Mascot Label Group)
Genre – Folk rock / alternative rock
Orlando’s Thomas Wynn and The Believers return after a five year hiatus, and their blend of timeless southern, folk rock has been sorely missed.
Wade Waist Deep is packed with the characteristics that make American music timeless—the deep Southern heat of the guitars, the complex, pulsing rhythms, the breath-taking harmonies, and the themes of building a better life, a life you really believe in.
From the harmonised opening of Man Out Of Time to the closing chords of Turn It Into Gold, Thomas Wynn and The Believers deliver a beautiful collection of ‘blood harmonies’ that take the best of classic rock, rhythm and blues and gospel and fuse them together to create a mouth-watering record that is quite simply sublime.
Southern rock has always followed the brutal honesty of country song writing, and throughout Wade Waist Deep, Thomas bares his soul and unveils an intense sense of vulnerability in tracks like Heartbreak Alley and My Eyes Won’t Be Open. These chorus driven tracks are full of strength, with meticulous harmonies from the pitch perfect Olivia Wynn adding a beautiful sense of transience as Thomas explores becoming a father.
Vocally both brother and sister produce a vocal masterclass from throughout, but for Thomas, I Don’t Regret must surely be up there with the best songs he has ever written and performed. The sheer strength of Wynn’s voice, the purity and they emotion involved is truly captivating – a real rafter filling gem.
The Believers sound is deeply rooted in American culture, and offers such classic appeal with Colin Daniel Fei’s vintage Hammond organ that can take you to church or send you straight to hell. But, there’s also a modern element to Wade Waist Deep in tracks like You Can’t Hurt Me, where the Wynn’s duel vocals over hard rock licks turn this into a modern American country rock / pop song.
Throughout this incredible piece of work, Thomas Wynn triumphs in asking the big questions: Who will remember us when we die? Will our troubles matter? What will we leave behind? It’s this honesty, this curiosity and the genuine sense of self that makes Wade Waist Deep such a challenging piece of work, and such an enjoyable listen.
RUSHONROCK RATED – 8.5/10 We could all die screaming, we could all just fade away!
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