Todd Kolod and his band, JustFolk released four studio albums from 2012-25. Now officially retired, their days of new tracks have come to an end, but what we have here is a collection of tunes that absolutely hit the spot.
As a songwriter, Kelod penned 70 songs in 70 years.
This, more than anything else is a celebration of his life and his work.
With his John Lennon-esque voice, powered by hauntingly beautiful guitar work, there isn’t a bad track on this collection, but songs the likes of “Can’t Stop Your Dreams,” thanks to the background vocals and a nice hook, set a standard for the rest of the album to follow.
Following that trend, “Say Goodbye” has that sexy guitar-fueled feel to it, but adds an almost Steely Dan meets Neil Young feel. Through tracks like this, this band has an absolute niche- to call them folk isn’t exactly fair. They are an excellent studio band and have just as much classic rock sentimentalities as they do folk. Combine it all and it feels more like a hybrid of rock and folk.
At the same time, a track like “What Was I Thinking,” which ends the album, encapsulates the tonal effervescence that takes over your ears throughout. So many tracks sound better and different the more you listen and this may be the best example of that. A powerful hook guides the experience, alongside wonderful backing vocals and wonderfully smooth guitar work.
A lifetime of memories through music, Kolod and his bandmates have a collection of tracks here that represent life, love and loss. There may not be sexy electric guitars or guest rappers appearing on it, but there’s something hypnotizing and melodic about these arrangements. If you missed this band’s first releases, this is an excellent place to jump in and become a fan.
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