If you thought Mike and the Moonpies were fixin’ to do some damage after “Paycheck to Paycheck” came out, just wait until you hear the rest of this thing.
It’s hard to find a country group who does it quite like Mike and the Moonpies. Their classic country sound, boot-stompin’ honky-tonk jams, and silky smooth steel work easily put them in the conversation of the best bands in country music.
And today, they further solidified their ranks among the elite with the release of their brand new album, One To Grow On.
I gotta say, I think this is their best work yet.
A concept album of sorts, the album takes you on a journey of a single character, with a blue collar, working class narrative as the overarching theme of the record. Just a dude on his grind, navigating the twists and turns of life.
And according to frontman Mark Harmeier, the main character isn’t all that different from Mark himself:
“I wanted to create a record you could crank loudly in your truck on Friday afternoon at quitting time.
To do that, I developed a narrative and a central character. It’s a guy who’s working hard to make ends meet, all while living in the moment and hoping to stay appreciative of the things he has.
A guy who takes pride in what he does but is still searching for a balance in his life. There are a lot of similarities between him and me.”
Carve out some time to listen to this one from beginning to end, you will not be disappointed. It might be too early to call this honky tonk heater the album of the year, but even after one listen for me, it’s easily in the conversation.
Here’s a few standouts:
“Paycheck to Paycheck”
“Growing Pains”
“Rainy Day”
“Social Drinkers”