The Furious Seasons

The Furious Seasons latest album Look West tells tales of mid-life longing with a stripped yet full acoustic album.

The band's fifth album and singer David Steinhart's 21st gets it's legs from the time the group spent touring sunny Southern California. That '60s/'70s Laurel Canyon vibe is present but the stillness of nights on the porch, further inland in the heartland also comes through. David Steinhart's voice is flanked by nimble guitarist Paul Nelson and Jeff Steinhart who keeps things unplugged, manning the standup bass for this record. The trio has found a tight-but-loose balance bobbing and weaving in between each other's lines to braid a lush acoustic foundation.

Lead single and album opener, 'Longshot' finds its voice somewhere between all-American '70s crooner Jim Croce and Irish romantic Glen Hansard. Guitars ring in with innocent chords, the author paints the picture of the sun shining in on a well-lived-in home. The song is a warm-hearted ode to perseverance, well-crafted and seamless.

Another highlight, 'Sadly Matched' is a song that tells the story of a man who is unable to leave his home of L.A. for a woman. The tune is replete with wistful, narrative turns of phrase like added verses to Peter Sarstedt's 'Where Do You Go (To My Lovely)' with Los Angeles acting as the sentimental metropolitan muse rather than Sarstedt's grand Paris.

Look West is an ode to the sentimentalists out there. The album feels like a warm Afghan blanket on your legs on a cool country night. Woes made poetic by comforting chords and a steady voice. A long stare at the horizon reminiscing pivotal moments. As with most things comforting, there aren't many surprises or risky musical choices but why mess too much with warm memories.