Gerry Spehar
I HOLD GRAVITY
Self-Release
Gorgeous and Timeless Laid Back West Coast Country.
Singer-songwriter Gerry Spehar’s ‘story’ will resonate with many musicians who read this review. He ‘lived the dream’ in the 60’s hitch hiking across Europe, then returning to Colorado where he formed a band with his brother and supported many ‘big names’ who visited Boulder. Then reality bit him on the backside; he fell in love with Sue, had two kids and with not a lot of money coming in from that music malarkey he gave it up for a proper job in a bank.
After 30 years of writing and playing in his ‘man cave’ Gerry and Sue decided to push the songwriting part of their relationship only to find people liked Gerry’s singing…..hence I HOLD GRAVITY.
The opening track Dirt is quite breathtaking; it’s Alt. Country but tightly wrapped and deeply intense, with guitars buzzing behind that softly grizzled voice like wasps around pop.
The title track I Hold Gravity is a death defyingly beautiful love song, and one that will sound just as fresh when someone discovers it in 30 years time.
With all those years cooped up playing and writing; Gerry Spehar has a lot to say, and he says it so very eloquently I can’t believe it’s taken until now for him to be discovered. How To Get To Heaven From LA; must surely be a Guy Clark out-take; but no it’s 100% Gerry Spehar; just as Into The Mystic may share a title with Van Morrison’s song; but this one is pure Country Gold.
I’m intrigued to find out who Holy Moly, Doughboy is about, as it must surely be about a real man ‘gassed in WW1 and built a cabin in the rocks below the Holy Moses mine.’ The slow militaristic drumming and feint trumpet in the background give this touching story a resonance far beyond words in my vocabulary.
The first song I was actually drawn to was Mr. and Mrs Jones, a slightly funky in a singer-songwriter fashion tale of jealousy between two country farmers, that has more twists and turns than a coiled spring and I wasn’t expecting the story to end the way it did; but as my Daddy used to say “What goes around, comes around.”
But my favourite is actually Here In The Pass; a haunting laid back Country song; just perfect for kicking back to with a cold beer or hot cup of tea on a Saturday night as the sun sets over the yard arm.
Now I’ve got to the end; it pains me to say that Gerry’s wife of all those years didn’t get to see this finished article as she sadly died of cancer during the final stages of the recording process.
I like most of the music I review; but occasionally I discover records like this which I get to fall in love with…..and fall in love, I have and you may too.
#The second time I played this album there was something ‘niggling’ in my heard; something it reminded me of……but I couldn’t think of what; so just let it wash over me and seep into my musical subconscious; then I read the Press Release. DOH! Gerry Spehar’s ‘backing band’ are none other than RMHQ favourites I See Hawks in LA!
Released 23rd June 2017
The Rocking Magpie 