by Ellen Bernhard
A few weeks ago, I bought tickets to see the Revival Tour in Philadelphia. No, it was not a religious event fueled by prayers, hymns, and “Amens!” Rather, former Hot Water Music frontman Chuck Ragan and several other artists collaborated for what was a unique and rare opportunity to see several musicians in popular punk and indie bands shed their rock roots and focus on an entirely different genre—folk music, while playing only acoustic instruments and harmonicas.
Together with his wife Jill Ragan, guitarist and harmonica player Chuck Ragan brought the second revival of the Revival Tour to the area. The show was a perfect venue for Chuck Ragan to perform and promote songs off his newest acoustic folk CD, Gold Country, which dropped this past September.
This is not the first time fans of Chuck Ragan have seen his talented mastery of the folk genre. With three other acoustic albums under his belt and several more available only on vinyl or iTunes, Ragan has certainly spent a great deal of time focusing on his post-Hot Water Music solo project, showing fans the diversity of his musical talents. Ragan’s music is not just for fans of his old band, however. His folk projects and CDs would easily fit anywhere in the CD collection of fans of Johnny Cash, for example.
Gold Country is a 13-song compilation of some of Ragan’s most passionate music to date. Every song, in one way or another, radiates a passion for the simpler things in life. “Call me crazy, but all these old ways of living simple are simply fading,” Ragan croons in the album’s first song “For Goodness Sake.”
Rather than traveling down major highways, moving at an ultra high speed to get to the end result as quickly as possible, Gold Country takes the back roads—taking its time and carrying on at a much slower, more purposeful and meaningful pace.
Every song bleeds of heartfelt feeling and emotion—Ragan’s raspy voice is in perfect harmony with his acoustic strumming and Jon Gaunt’s breathtaking skills on the violin. The wail of Ragan’s harmonica is something rarely seen in today’s music, but he plays it perfectly—adding it when necessary and never letting it take away from the meaning of the song.
Fellow musicians, many of whom were with Ragan on the Revival tour, join in here and there, adding backing vocals and instrumental talents that give the album great variation to Ragan’s acoustic guitar and harmonica.
Like any journey through winding roads and uncharted territory, Ragan’s album almost stays the full course—but gets slightly off track toward the middle of the track list. “Don’t Say a Word,” isn’t necessarily a bad song, but for my personal tastes, moves at an almost painfully slow pace, standing out from the rest of the tracks in a lackluster way.
Gold Country takes listeners back to the roots of folk—presenting a distinct alternative to what is popular on the airwaves these days. “It definitely feels like a progression to me and I love it; it feels good and it feels natural,” Ragan tells interviewer Jonah Bayer in the Revival Tour’s playbill. Ragan has done more than just bring the Revival Tour back to Philadelphia—he has sparked a new revival of folk music for a younger generation.
Sounds like: Tim Barry – Rivanna Junction, Tom Gabel – Heart Burns, Frank Turner – Love, Ire & Song
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