Garrett Pierce
Dusk
Reviewed by: Lauren Rosier
Previous releases from singer/songwriter, Garrett Pierce, were focused on a specific time place, but the latest LP titled Dusk (Crossbill Records) is filled with tales that span a lifetime.
On Dusk, his dramatic lyrics are influenced by literature greats such John Steinbeck and Hemingway while his calming voice soars over effortless musicianship with dark, ethereal melodies.
Dusk opens with a mellow, solemn track titled “Boat Song” about a young boy fishing at the crack of dawn who’s frustrated catching fish. “Hey boy/don’t you get all wrapped up in the line/time to let it naturally unwind/there are fish below the boat/that you will find…” Perhaps a metaphor?
The track, “Distant Thought,” shows off Pierce’s acoustic folk side and originates from his newfound passion of foraging for wild mushrooms for dinner in the Bay area. He sings about the “hillside of brilliance/where a man can ponder what he’s got/where a woman can lay like/the painting from a master’s greatest work/where the thorns that were stuck/heal and become a distant thought.”
Pierce reveals his elaborate storytelling abilities on the dark, raw, and emotional narrative of “Get Me Out of This Place” where the song is from the point-of-view of a murderer forcing the listener to re-humanize the defendant. Pierce sings “...please get me out of this place/Lord, get me out of this place/paralyzed/and pitiful/what can’t be erased/Lord, get me out of this place...”
The literary influences shine on the dark, haunting narrative on “One Last Breath” and his knack for lyrical imagery of a bad storm on “Not a Religious Man.”
The combination of Pierce’s flawless voice, musical arrangements, and lyrical illustration produce an undeniable talent in both musical and literary senses.
Rating: Bad-Ass
