SADLER VADEN : ANYBODY OUT THERE?

SADLER VADEN : ANYBODY OUT THERE?

Next To You
Don't Worry
Golden Child
Anybody Out There?
Curtain Call
Modern Times
Peace + Harmony
Good Man
Be Here, Right Now
Tried And True

Label : Thirty Tigers

Release Date : March 6, 2020

Length : 39:51

Review (Americana UK) : Sadler Vaden is best known as lead guitarist and vocalist in Jason Isbell’s 400 Unit. He said recently, “I live and breathe it. And I think I’m pretty good at it. I just love rock and roll”. And that is about all you need to know about his second solo album ‘Anybody Out There’. Before joining Isbell’s outfit in 2013 Vaden was in the uncompromising Drivin’ N Cryin’. But having been in the music biz for nearly two decades he now seeks a more human connection in our technology-obsessed world. Vaden’s influences come through loud and clear; Neil Young, The Who, Joe Walsh and most noticeably, Tom Petty. Vaden is on familiar territory with the pacy rockers that match his 400 Unit role. ‘Next to You’ opens with the knockout riff of an Isbell show. The title track is also the album’s anthem, a brooding southern rock call that highlights Vaden’s undeniable lead guitarist skills. Co-written with Aaron Lee Tasjan ‘Peace and Harmony’ brings some George Harrison to Vaden’s view of today’s America, “Everybody’s screaming, everybody’s fighting/got to give it up… don’t you want to try a little peace and harmony?” The softer, melodic songs introduce a more reflective Vaden. ‘Good Man’ is a muse on where he sees himself now and his future. ‘Be Here Right Now’ brings out the harmonies and sharp crescendos of early Jayhawks. Petty dominates ‘Curtain Call’ from the gentle vocal intro to “I won’t back down, it’s my curtain call now”, a fitting tribute to his hero. The jangling runs of ‘Tried and True’ combine both Petty and McGuinn. There is no denying Vaden’s ability as a rock guitarist and producer. Perhaps in a third solo record he might further explore his melodic thoughtful side.

Review (No Depression) : There’s a moment on Sadler Vaden’s new album where he sings, “No one asks if I’m doing alright / Does anybody seem to care? / I’m just trying to get through tonight, so tell me / Tell me, is there anybody out there?” It’s the title track to Vaden’s sophomore LP, Anybody Out There?, and though it may come across as a plea for help, it’s more likely that it conveys something else entirely. Vaden is a self-professed rock and roll nerd; he’s a guy who has been playing music since he was 10 years old and who’s managed to create a life centered around what he loves. When he gets to the chorus on “Anybody Out There?” — a track that sounds like something Led Zeppelin might make today — he’s not crying out for some assistance. He’s looking at the world around him and saying, bluntly, “I know that you’re all talk / So I’m walking home again.” As long as Vaden has rock and roll in his life, he doesn’t need anything else. That devotion and love to rock is strewn throughout the record, and it manifests itself in many different ways. From the Zeppelin-esque title track to the Pink Floyd-tinged “Curtain Call” to the Joe Walsh-inspired “Golden Child,” Vaden shares his influences with a certain sense of pride. But Anybody Out There? isn’t a tribute record to the rock eras of the past; it’s something much deeper and more important. “I wanted to take a little more of a deeper dive into my songwriting with this particular record,” he said when it was first announced. “I’m going into my mid-30s. A lot of it just seeps in naturally, but with everything that’s going on in our culture and our society there were some things I felt like I wanted to say.” That endeavor comes through most clearly on “Good Man,” a near-autobiographical tune for the guitarist and songwriter. “I used to stand aside and turn my eye to what was wrong,” he sings as he looks toward some type of hope. “The veil has lifted up on what I’ve overlooked so long / But through the clouds I see clear water for all our future daughters.” Similar sentiments cover what is no doubt the highlight of the record, “Peace + Harmony,” an unforgettable tune co-written with Aaron Lee Tasjan that confronts the vitriol spewed across the political aisles while offering a glimmer of, well, peace and harmony. Though Vaden has spent much of his time over the past several years as the guitarist in Jason Isbell’s 400 Unit — and he has proven he’s one of the greatest guitarists in the scene today — he’s always been working on his own music, too. In 2016, he made his debut with his self-titled LP, and since then has released a handful of singles that continue to showcase an inherent self-awareness in his writing, as well as an uncanny ability to craft instantly catchy hooks. And now on Anybody Out There?, he’s created a listening experience that will never fit neatly into any one genre, but will stand out as his finest work to date. Does it get any more rock and roll than that?

Review (Americana Highways) : Long time second guitarist in Jason Isbell’s 400 Unit (and previously in Drivin’ n Cryin’), Sadler Vaden, steps out from the shadow and shines bright on his second solo LP, Anybody Out There?, out via Thirty Tigers/Dirty Mag Records on March 6, 2020. Vaden dropped “Next to You,” the high-energy rocking lead single off Anybody Out There? and Audley Freed co-write, back in November stirring great expectations for the record. On “Next to You” Vaden builds on his affection for Tom Petty, Drivin-n-Cryin, and his South Carolina roots on a radio ready single replete with tambourines, big chorus, and hooks galore. From the first note big chords and full throated vocals draws in the otherwise casual listener as Vaden declares his devotion rattling off a list of all things he’d do, “just to be next to you”. “Hell, high water, misfortune at times, all this I will go through just to be next to you,” he sings. A short but sweet guitar solo reminiscent of Isebll’s days with Drive-by-Truckers bristles with anthem ready energy as a chorus of “just to be next to you” carries us through the songs end. “Next to You” set the bar high for the rest of Anybody Out There? and Vaden doesn’t disappoint. On “Golden Child,” Vaden finds himself at home deep in the groove as he sings about the power guitar gods and newborns wield, “I don’t want for nothing much….I’ll break your heart with just a smile, the golden child.” The title track opens over drum intro that would’ve made Jon Bonham smile before guitars crash the party with an angsty synth in tow. “No one asks if I’m doing alright, does anybody seem to care, I’m just trying to get through tonight, so tell me is there anybody out there?” Vaden questions while simultaneously outlining the record’s driving concerns – the human need for connection, especially relevant to an adored performer. “Curtain Call” and “Be Here, Right Now” take a turn toward the quiet and melancholy where acoustic guitars and unsteady hearts demand attention. On the former Vaden sneaks in a small tribute to Tom Petty while contemplating his place in the performing life, and the inevitable end we all face, “I can still hear you sing I Won’t Back Down, but is my curtain call now?” On the latter, he sings, “I want to take you away somewhere safe and warm and pull ourselves together.” “Peace and Harmony” a co-write with Aaron Lee Tasjan channels post-Beatle George Harrison with a counter-point guitar full of modern grit. “Everybody’s screaming, everybody’s fighting…don’t you want to try a little peace and harmony,” Vaden spits with righteous indignation. “I want to be a good man…for you; I used to stand aside and turn my eye to what was wrong, the veil has lifted up on what I’ve over looked so long,…and I know what side I’m for, I want to be a good man,” sings Vaden on “Good Man” over a laid back rocker with Big Star vocals. On “Good Man” Vaden looks to his future and begins to take responsibility for his place in the world. The “Golden Child” has grown up to become the “Good Man”; Vaden’s road map to personal growth plays less like a self-help message and more like a rock-n-roll musical, but like all great music there’s meaning and message hiding just beneath all the bombast and glistening guitar lines. The guitar lines may draw the listener in, but the confessional self-reflective lyrical movements will keep listeners coming back for more after the last chord fades. Vaden’s simple philosophy is summarize in repetitive mantra-like chorus of “Be Here, Right Now”. Self-produced, engineered by Paul Ebersold, mastered by Richard Dodd, and featuring performances from fellow 400 Unit compatriots, Anybody Out There? continues to build on Vaden’s already well-established body of work. The complete record drops on March 6th via Thirty Tigers and Dirty Mag Records, snag a copy ASAP; you won’t be disappointed.