Nick Sizemore Where The Lonesome Roam
Country Music continually evolves, especially in the current times. The eclectic blend of influences always produces something just a touch different. Nick Sizemore’s release Where The Lonesome Roam immediately calls to mind true smoky bar, beer bottle honky tonk. With the cadence and feel of a vinyl record spinning in a jukebox behind a pool table, or a full band that looks like it’s been beaten dry and soaked in beer to bring it back to life. It harkens back to a time before psychedelia took over the outlaw country scene. More rowdy roadhouse than countrypolitan, it's built on a solid foundation of pedal steel, a baritone and some old school Midwest country attitude.
The Peoria-based band was starting to gain traction after the all too common tale of playing bars in and around their home base, when the unfortunate happened to the group--the Covid-19 pandemic seemed to halt their momentum. According to Nick, “It was a real gut punch, but we’re still out here.”
The album wears its influences on its sleeve. According to Nick, the culprits responsible for the inspiration of the record are the 50’s-70’s country albums that he grew up listening to. He believes this is the greatest music ever made, and that producer and collaborator Brett Robinson has a real ear for the style. Nick believes that Brett Robinson, Jimmy Teardrop, Alex Lyon, and Bradford Dobbs were key to completing the record. The 10 song LP was cut in a matter of days and Nick had this to say about the recording process: “It wouldn’t have been possible without the chemistry they’ve got going on down there. I’d also like to thank Robert Shrimp for mixing and engineering the record.”
The opener and namesake of the album, “Where the Lonesome Roam” has a trotting rhythm section that continues to drive the track forward. There’s a familiarity to the overall construction of the song that makes you immediately tap your foot and start moving along. The vocals come in and sew the stomp of the rhythm section and the whine of the pedal steel together in what feels classic, and novel, in the same beat.
“High Road Home” marks a very strong addition to the sound of the record, calling to mind the anthems of the highway that mark an earlier time in Midwest rock and roll. Somewhere between a ballad and lamentation, it feels both sad and proud.
The Hank Williams cover, “Pictures From Life’s Other Side,” feels at home on the record. There’s a strength to the cover. Taking that semi-gospel croon of the original, and melting it with a deeper delivery adds something relevant and new to a classic tune.
Not only is the music, writing, and playing reminiscent of an era in country music where the highways were wide open and the bars were loud, the production is as well. It’s warm, it’s full, and it sounds great. It's no small feat to make an album that feels this specific style of vintage in the modern era of recording. Albums like this are not just collections of songs, but they are experiences, and this is a fantastic example of a classic country music experience. It’s in the great traditions of the ghosts of country past that came before.
When I asked Nick about how he got here, and what was important going forward, he gave the kind of response road worn country singers give. “I spent a lot of time outdoors growing up, I’ve worked a list of odd jobs, but I guess none of them ever stuck. I ended up leaving home and wandering around the world. One night I played a bit and sang in a tavern, and they invited me to come back and play that weekend. One turned into more, and eventually I guess I found myself here.” Not the answer of a fame seeker, or an agenda career-minded musician, but the answer of a man answering a call.
When I asked Nick what he wanted people to take away from the record, he replied, “It’s that I wanted to make the kind of country music I want to hear. I’m pleased to have heard from a lot of folks who love this record. I couldn’t do it without them, and they keep me going. I can’t wait to make some more.”
Nick Sizemore’s Where The Lonesome Roam is out now on all streaming platforms everywhere and I recommend that you give this album a listen. Sit down with your favorite stiff drink and enjoy the ride, and don’t miss Nick out on the road!
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