Drew Holcomb and The Neighbors
Strangers No More
4 out of 5 stars
Videos by American Songwriter
There’s a reason why Drew Holcomb and the Neighbors can effectively lay claim to being populist pundits. Their songs share a common bond, one that speaks directly to the listener without pretense. They ingratiate themselves without artificial intrusion, letting their engaging melodies and sincere sentiments suffice.
In a real way then, Strangers No More stays true to its title, broaching bonds in ways that instill an uplifting attitude and equal encouragement to those that may find it lacking. The song titles themselves offer more than a hint of that overt optimism, with several numbers—“Gratitude,” “Possibility,” and “On a Roll”—serving as overt anthems, and, in fact, rallying cries flush with encouragement.
You gotta find your people … when you’re together, you got nothing to prove … you gotta find your people, then you’ll find yourself …” Holcomb sings on “Find Your People,” a song that describes the kind of communal bond where friends become family, one offering the support system so essential to one’s well being.
“Troubles,” “Strange Feeling,” and “That’s On You, That’s On Me” on the other hand warn of troubles to avoid, further reason to find a better road forward even in the midst of obstacles that often intrude on life and the difficulties that can disrupt everyday existence. Holcomb’s a musical therapist of sorts, an artist with a positive perspective that manifests in ways that are upbeat, effusive, and absolutely hard to ignore. The closing track, “Free (Not Afraid To Die),” exemplifies that attitude. So too, the exuberant exhortation that drives “Dance With Everybody” is destined to reap an audience’s adulation, a song certain to get a concert crowd on its feet and immersed in its delirious intents. It would indeed be hard to find another offering that’s so absolutely infectious.
For that matter, it would be a challenge to find any album as completely compelling as this. An antidote for today’s distancing and divide, Strangers No More does all it’s out to accomplish.
Photo by Stephen J. Cohen/Getty Images
