“Every Morning at Five” Out Now

Reviewing 2021’s lockdown-reflective Home All Day, Home all Night in #89, I wrote, “Perhaps the sense of uprooted loss and displacement that permeated 2018’s Now Residing Abroad and 2020’s La Fonda just feels universal to us all, now.” But L.A.’s David Steinhart’s candid eye for detail also expresses inner satisfaction and gratitude for its causes. Still playing acoustic, relaxed in picking, and aided gently-tenderly by brother Jeff’s upright bass, trusty P.A. Nelson’s guitar, and three guests (especially William Gramling’s light touch piano), EMaF turns from somber to sanguine throughout the ’Seasons’ latest keeper. Steinhart can even gush on the unspoken euphoria of waking next to someone cherished (America’s answer to The Mutton Birds’ stunning “While You Sleep) on the opening title track—and it’s moving, not maudlin. He also imbues his compositions with small drama and tension, like the determined, standout Over the Canyon”—with a touch of dusty trail/western music motif. It’s a “long summer drive” you’ll want to take with them, too. Jack Rabid, The Big Takeover thefuriousseasons.bandcamp.com

Every Morning At Five is, at its core, a profoundly romantic album. Yet, it’s miles away from the shallow, chart-bound teenage fluff, those insipid pop creations that rhyme “moon” with “June” and which never really get far below the surface of real life, real love. No, these are songs about genuine love, authentic emotions, and true relationships, penned by someone who comprehends the intricate workings of the world – love, loss, longing and life, warts and all. Gorgeous, relatable, and unabashedly real—what more could want? Dave Franklin, Dancing about Architecture

There are a few things in life that, even though you’ve experienced them before, they still manage to surprise you at how good they are. True love is on that list. The trust of a good friend. A BLT with freshly baked bread, and lettuce and tomato picked minutes ago from your own garden. On my personal list I think you can add “a new record from The Furious Seasons”. The LA trio has a new album out, Every Morning At Five, and although I’ve gushed about them in the past, I’ll be damned if I wasn’t surprised at how much I like it.

The complex arrangements and instrumental interplay of The Furious Seasons is, frankly, something I have a hard time describing. They’re a folk band, no doubt, but maybe string trio is a better description since it sets fewer expectations. Regardless of what you call it, I’ve rarely heard something similar, and Every Morning At Five continues that tradition of surprising me, even though I know what’s coming. Shawn Underwood, Twangville