Light It Up

Like a white buffalo, Red Wanting Blue exists as that rare musical animal that relies on heart-on-your-sleeve, fist pumping in the air, hooks-aplenty rock ‘n’ roll. Years of non-stop touring have garnered the Columbus, Ohio quintet a growing and loyal fanbase but that approach also infused the band’s 13th studio album with a cohesiveness that combines the live communal experience with vocalist Scott Terry’s introspective lyrics that pay emotional dividends. Add to that, just enough experimentation to keep the songs attached to the past as much as they are relevant to the present. References to light, sparks and stars pop up throughout the baker’s dozen number of tracks as Terry makes his way through the darkness of his own creation to the other end of the tunnel. His ongoing, vulnerable self-reflection uneasily jumps out on the title track when he contemplates alcohol as the alternative to writer’s block. Recognizing the negativity of his drinking ways, he finds hope in a place that’s always offered salvation from his demons — the power of music. Later, on “Fine & Dandy” he drops lines that recall Paul Westerberg – “I pretend to be fine and dandy/When I’m not well at all.” Terry’s voice has the tonal quality that reflects thousands of van miles traveled from gig to gig; a life filled with cigarettes, booze and sleep deprivation that’s balanced by occasional jubilation. Soundtracking his journey, RWB’s relies on musical touchstones from the days when rock was the soundtrack of the band members’ lives. “Hey, 84” looks back to those innocent times. Like that song, the rest of the album has an undercurrent of synth textures that evoke four decades ago (“Run For Your Life”) and anthemic numbers (“Goliath”) that elicit visions of lighters in the air, draft beers spilled and singalongs at the top of your lungs until the club lights are turned on and everyone heads to the exit. “Light It Up” comes together as an ode to hope and perseverance, a celebration of the fire we carry within and the commitment that keeps us going even in the face of seemingly insurmountable odds.