Signals (CD)

ABOUT THE ALBUM

       In a polarizing and emotional cultural era, Signals calls forth a vision of American identity that is generated and sustained through imagination, creativity, and the trials of love. Embodying the fighting human spirit, the characters in Signals battle demons and try to become fully self-expressed, while taking a stand about the kind of world they want to live in.

      Each track, in its own way, invokes the American spirit of regeneration and self-definition. “Violet Crown,” the opener, celebrates the eclectic swagger and magic of rock and roll, set in the purple hills of Austin, Texas. In “Night’s So Good,” unrequited love gets reinvented into a playful bar song, summoning the spirit of 1960s girl group vocals and melody. Rockers “Into the Night” and “Country Mile” explore the transformative power of music, while jilted lovers in “Ophelia” and “Tomorrow” use song to reclaim their voices and bodies.

      Community is an underlying element to the album. In the title track, a community summons the spirits of the past in order to triumph over forces beyond human control. The song evokes images of resurrection and rejuvenation in the face of trying times. “American Summer,” the LPs lead single, declares a hopeful vision of the future, but not without first facing the horrors that continue to haunt us on our own soil.

        The album ultimately embodies the notion that through music, you can imagine, and create, the world you want. And we need that now more than ever.