Picking and singing about hard livin' and lovin' isn't new, but if it's done right it never gets old. Eastbound Jesus does it right. Their record Holy Smokes got a lot of spins this year, and I still haven't quite put my finger on what it is about this band's spirit that is so captivating. Perhaps it's because they come from my hometown of Albany, NY, so there's an inherent saltiness and sarcasm that comes through in their sound. You know, I can identify with that.
The record has plenty of great cuts and boisterous energy, but it's the slowed-down closer "Time Wasting" that gets me the most every time. With ragged harmonies and picking that shuffles perfectly along in that slightly-off-kind-of-way, they deliver a song that sounds well beyond their years. It sticks and you feel it. I guess that's it about Eastbound Jesus: it's sincere. You just can't bullshit that.
Eastbound Jesus Holy Smokes Time Wasting