Eric DeVries and The Song and Dance Band - Traveler's Heart

by Zena Grieg

published: 19 / 12 / 2024

Eric DeVries and The Song and Dance Band - Traveler's Heart

Label: Louder Than War
Format: CD

Excellent fifth album from Netherlands singer-songwriter Eric Devries, with its themes of moving and travelling, is a colourful, musica odyssey

Review

Twenty years after his first solo album, \Netherlands singer-songwriter Eric Devries has just released his fifth album, playing with The Song and Dance Band, the band named after his preceding 2021 critically acclaimed ‘Song and Dance Man’ album and consisting of Janos Koolen (banjo, guitar, mandolin, clarinet), Joost van Es (violin), and Lucas Beukers (double bass). Iain Mathews from Fairport Convention and Matthews Southern Comfort (of which Devries is a fellow member) and famed Dutch singer Fay Lovsky ably provide vocals on several songs. The leitmotif of this new record is moving and travelling, with literary references to relevant American writers including Jack Kerouac and Truman Capote; the last two years have seen Devries touring the Netherlands, Germany and Austria as well as changing houses. In his words: “A ‘Traveler’s Heart’ is not necessarily a convenience, but it is a source of stories, adventures and always new songs”. Recorded mostly live at Studio Doornenburg in The Netherlands, this is a mainly acoustic album, an engaging mix of folk, bluegrass and blues, set against Devries’s trademark narrative skills and authentic, reflective lyrics. Highlights of the thirteen-track collection include: the catchy opener and single ‘Shadow Of A Man’ with some jaunty banjo and violin accompaniment; the upbeat ‘Shine’ with its vivacious backing; the tender, slower-paced, plaintive ‘What If It’s A Boy’; ‘Start Anew’ with its insinuating dance rhythm; the bluesy ‘The Ballad Of Johnny And Ginny’; and the soulful ballad and closer ‘All Because Of You’. A distinctive blend of Americana and folk music, ‘Traveler’s Heart’ is a welcome addition to the repertoire of this talented musician and band,l,

Track Listing:-

1 Shadow Of a Man
2 Miss Holy Golightly
3 Traveler's Heart
4 Hit The Road Running
5 Wheels In Motion
6 Shine
7 What If It's A Boy
8 A Better Man
9 Walk Back In The Rain
10 Start Anew
11 Ballad Of Johnny & Ginny
12 Angels In The Snow
13 All Because Of You