My latest album For My Friends and Family
For My Friends and Family Album Review
Trailand Eltzroth is an up and coming singer/songwriter from Jackson, Mississippi. Prior to this year, Eltzroth had only two EPs to his name. However, with the release of his first full-length album, For My Friends and Family, he's proving that his songwriting skills are already well above average.
With For My Friends and Family is largely acoustic and even folksy, both in sound and in Eltzroth's tendency to write songs that are more story-driven. He has a great sense of melody (the chorus of "Sophia" is addicting); in fact, the vocal and musical melodies complement each other quite nicely, creating really engaging moments, such as in "I've Found Love In Mississippi" and the Arcadian Wild-esque "New Life."
While the album's title suggests that the songs may be about and for specific people, the lyrics and themes are actually a bit more varied. Songs like "Love Like We Do," and the aforementioned "Sophia," certainly fit the bill. But right out of the gate, "You Can Hear Me" opens with an all-too-familiar-sounding existential crisis, as Eltzroth contends with the pressures of life, feeling insufficient, and wondering if God is still around (what seasoned Christian hasn't at one time prayed "Oh my Lord, can You hear me? / I long for rest in Your promise / Oh my Lord, I hear silence?").
This isn't an album of doubt, though. While Eltzroth acknowledges that those times are real, there's a lot of joy and trust in the Lord displayed throughout the remaining songs. "National Geographic" sings of God's promises in the Bible in the face of the world's boasting, "Out of Time" is a reminder that life on earth is short and we have work to do as believers.
As I said above, this may only be the first full album from Trailand Eltzroth, but it almost sounds like something from a seasoned artist. It's melodically pleasing and lyrically interesting and mature, with solid production quality to boot. For My Friends and Family is out now, but don't let the title throw you off - it's for you, too.