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The Furious Seasons are an acoustic trio with stories to tell. Living inside these songs are tales of persons in desperate situations, chronicles of life in 21st century Los Angeles, and stories of quietly heroic individuals, often told with a nod towards the inexorable passage of time. Acclaimed songwriter, singer and guitarist David Steinhart fashions songs that lyrically live on the hopeful side of melancholy, with an approach to songwriting by turns stark and ethereal, and perfect for an acoustic treatment. The supple accompaniment from this small string orchestra generates a surprising tonal lushness, in the end creating a hypnotic universe in which the listener can lose themselves for a time. Listen to these songs and they will change you. Veteran Los Angeles songwriter David Steinhart has distilled decades of songwriting on over 20 album releases, and with his brother Jeff has toured the U.S. and Europe in the '90s and ‘00s in bands Smart Brown Handbag and Pop Art (both still have cult followings).
Guitarist Paul Nelson’s background as a working musician in Santa Barbara plying his trade in various facets of Americana, afforded him the ability to illuminate David’s songs with melodic and mercurial inventions that create a bespoke blend of blues, folk and country influences. Additionally, he adds harmony vocals to David’s keening melodies with an instinctual sense. Jeff Steinhart’s upright bass provides the supple underpinning that pulls the songs together with a gravitas that makes the vocals and the guitars soar; and in the recording studio he adds subtle washes of organ and piano in just the right places. At the core of the material, David’s modal approach to guitar keeps the songs grounded and at the same time creates with painterly stokes open-ended, sometimes impressionistic sonic landscapes on which the trio builds arrangements.
Now, almost exactly a year after the release of the acclaimed La Fonda comes the release of a new album, the 12-song Home All Day, Home All Night, boasting a sprawling song cycle that includes subjects as disparate as the COVID 19 pandemic, love, ageing, childhood memories and even a David Bowie cover, but which are tied together with the sense of the elusiveness of time, and of its effect on people and relationships.
Like most musicians and bands during the 2020-2021 pandemic season, The Furious Seasons had to adapt to no live shows, no rehearsals and no studio work. David responded to the quarantine times with a new batch of songs, the lyrics of which bloom in exquisite detail and which brilliantly reflect this new situation we find ourselves in. A line from the song 7420 traces the path of a couple in Los Angeles who, in COVID-era lockdown and also feeling the entanglement of the then-current political atmosphere, watch an Independence Day nighttime display and ponder, “The fireworks, in the L.A. sky / feel like an act of pure defiance”. A verse from the same song offers up a summary of the times, as well as the album title:
You’ll be home all day / we’ll be home all night
Laying low and abstaining
From all of our non-essential activities / They boil down to just four or five things
Still we’re left here with a whole lot of nothing
In order to work safely during the height of the pandemic record the new songs, the songs were recorded in 4 different commercial and home studios, one of which was that of long-time Los Angeles studio owner Glenn Nishida. Perhaps because of the ad hoc nature of the recordings, the band members’ imaginations were allowed to wander and new textures were sought: David (as a former full-time drummer) played drums on many tracks, Paul employed electric guitars for both pedal steel-like tones and a ‘50s tremolo vibe, and Jeff, in addition to his sure-handed bass, found his way to piano and Farfisa organ on some songs. Each band member working in isolation often brought about unexpected and sublime combinations of sounds. And with the occasional flourish of violin from Aubrey Richmond and drums on one song from Eduardo Tancredi, the album reveals an auspicious personality all its own. The songs, though, are still solidly grounded in the acoustic guitar/upright bass approach that has brought the group acclaim over the last three albums.
The overall effect of the new instrumentation resulted in a breezy California band feel. Again teaming up with La Fonda’s producer, the 5-time Grammy winner Alfonso Rodenas, the resulting Home All Day, Home All Night is an unexpected jewel in the collection of albums by The Furious Seasons.
Reviews
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
Home All Day, Home All Night might emerge as one of the more profound artistic statements of the COVID precisely because the band doesn’t date themselves to the era and the album will hold up long after this pandemic is behind us. Cody Conrad/The Big Takeover
Brother Jeff Steinhart builds a musical foundation with bass and then P.A. Nelson adds guitar flourishes that layer on a sound that pushes well past what most people think of as folk music.
At its core, Home All Day, Home All Night is undoubtedly a folk record. It’s a bunch of stories about ordinary people’s lives put to music. But the intricate arrangements and instrumental interplay create a rich, textured sound that’s as much Mozart as it is Woody Guthrie. Shaun Underwood/Twangville
Focused on nimble acoustic guitar and strong rhythms, the music is lit by expressive vocals that deliver the emotional heart of the music, bolstered by lovely harmonies, and warm production that builds rich layers of instrumentation. Art and Culture Maven
The music is beautifully rendered throughout behind David’s expressive, emotive vocals. It’s not only Nelson’s deft touches on the string instruments but Jeff’s bass work and injection of organ and piano in just the right spots. The songs are well-crafted, highly melodic, and rife with stellar musicianship. Making a Scene/Jim Hynes
Shimmering acoustic guitars and assured vocals all over the place, but above all there are some excellent melodies to wrap around, showing what being rooted into a sound and having experience within it really means when it is transferred into sound. Spill Magazine
The harmonies are sublime, the musicianship superb and I absolutely love their cover of David Bowie’s “Changes,” one of the best songs ever written. There’s a melancholy tone, a sweet sadness, a masterful turn of phrase and the songwriting is as good as anything I have heard. These guys are solid gold. I can’t wait for a return to live performance so I seek them out and buy a ticket. Samantha Simonds-Ronceros/Noho Arts District
An effort that just sounds like their California home with its overwhelmingly breezy landscape, The Furious Seasons yet again carve out a very distinct and cautiously charming place to reside in the area of modern indie-folk and vintage folk-rock that we could never tire of, and Home All Day, Home All Night just might be one of their best yet. Take Effect
Reviews for La Fonda
The Big Takeover/Jack Rabid
If it ain’t broke, keep not breaking it. La Fonda is the third of an unplugged folk-pop troika of 2016’s Look West and 2018’s Now Residing Abroad showcasing L.A.’s David Steinhart’s propensity as a tale-spinning troubadour—mostly backed by his and Paul Nelson’s resonant acoustic guitars and brother Jeff Steinhart’s acoustic bass. David is the opposite of a novice, after 36 years and 23 LPs dating to Pop Art and Smart Brown Handbag (both with Jeff). And like a craftsman painstakingly putting together precise pieces, he plaits a folk tapestry with intonations of western music (like country Neil Young duetting with Willie Nelson), singing long experience of humans that come and go. His human touch shades quiet emotions, observant but not detached, on such beauties as “Burn Clean” and the almost parental “Figure It Out” (“All those lessons you’ll never learn”—acquiring wisdom is often a struggle.) It’s another masterclass of how to make something so gentle and involved speak so powerfully in song. (thefuriousseasons.bandcamp.com)
ACOUSTIC TRIO THE FURIOUS SEASONS GRACEFULLY TACKLE LOSS & HEARTBREAK ON ‘LA FONDA’ (ALBUM REVIEW)
Jim Hynes
We covered the acoustic trio The Furious Seasons’ 2018 release Now Residing Abroad on these pages and with this, La Fonda, the band is releasing their seventh album and third as an acoustic trio. Bandleader/ guitarist/songwriter and vocalist David Steinhart sees this as a focused effort, a new song cycle dealing with losing a best friend to alcoholism. Along with Steinhart are his brother bassist David and guitarist/vocalist Paul Nelson. Guests provide violin, drums, accordion, and percussion. Five-time Grammy-winning producer and engineer Alfonso Rodenas helmed the sessions which were mostly recorded live with the three in a semicircle in front of microphones. David claims that all his singing and playing is live with Jeff and Nelson adding some overdubs afterwards, as obviously for the guest parts as well.
”As a Matter of Fact,” a minor-key groove in 4/4 starts the proceedings as they sing of someone who is letting the L.A. nights take its toll. “Figure It Out” with its eerie chorus “how to let you go” is a superb folk tune with classy guitar flourishes from Nelson. The strings and vocal harmonies imbue “Burn Clean,” about his friend’s time in the Arizona desert, again with an indelible chorus – “Let the Arizona sky take your breath away.” “I Was an Actor” is one of the few up-tempo tunes, featuring keening dobro and electric guitar picking from Nelson. By the time we get to the fifth track, “Slide Into Sadness” it’s clear that this album stays more in a folk and folk-rock mode, lacking the wide-ranging experimentation of the last one. On this tune, David is feeling the guilt and imagined responsibility, or lack thereof, for his friend’s demise.
The highlights of the second half, following the dramatic “Pitch Dark” are two songs about the friend’s funeral. “Vast Divide” is a brisk shuffle with brushes on the drums and Nelson and David in tight harmony. “Your Irish Funeral,” a clear standout, has Rodenas playing various percussion instruments, including some from Ireland. The song talks about his funeral in Indiana where only about 10% of the people knew him. He contrasts that with the memorial service in L.A. where “all his friends were so angry that it became like a horrible therapy session.” This is David’s way of a proper goodbye, envisioning all his friends happy and playing songs the friend loved.
As mentioned the music, often subtle, is beautifully rendered throughout behind David’s expressive, emotive vocals. It’s not only Nelson’s deft touches on the string instruments but Jeff’s bass work and injection of organ and piano in just the right spots. The songs are well-crafted, stemming from a very personal well. His friend’s ex-wife is he his spouse’s best friend and his daughter is their goddaughter. When such a personal focus is brought to other musicians, it can be tough but tightly knitted nature of this trio, finds them embracing the songs with appropriate care and harmony, to extent that it never sounds as sad as one might think. Instead, there’s a brightness peeking through the melancholy.
Peter Cowley
I have to admit that I had not previously heard of The Furious Seasons, an acoustic trio from Los Angeles , even though "La Fonda" [ "The Inn"] is their seventh album. The band consists of highly regarded singer/songwriter/guitarist David Steinhart , his brother Jeff Steinhart on stand-up bass and Paul Nelson on guitar and vocals.
"La Fonda" has a most interesting concept : it is an entire song-cycle of ten songs that David has written as a tribute to a close friend [ also called David] who died from the ravages of alcohol.
The songs chart the friendship from its beginning to its ultimate, tragic conclusion.
That may sound like a recipe for a gloomy, depressing record but that is not, in reality, the case at all. Yes, there are melancholy moments but on the whole this is a heartfelt and eloquent tribute to a fallen friend.
The Furious Seasons' trademark sound consists of delicately interweaving acoustic guitars and subtle harmonies , topped off with the distinctive voice of David Steinhart, which , at times, reminds me of Tom Russell and also Neil Diamond.
The album begins with "As A Matter Of Fact" which sets the scene by describing how easy it was for his friend to fall prey to the attractions of Los Angeles' nightlife , especially as "you are so easy to distract".
"Figure It Out" describes how his friend "flew off the track" and how the narrator feels guilt over how he "could have done what I should have done". The narrator's feeling
of guilt is a recurring theme , particularly in "I Was An Actor" , an upbeat , dobro-driven country shuffle and "Slide Into Sadness" a song of deep regret in which the narrator blames himself "for things I couldn't see" and comes to terms with the fact that "it was no help to you knowing me". The melancholy atmosphere is echoed by an emotional guitar solo and accordion.
"Vast Divide" is , somewhat incongruously, an upbeat , catchy song about the friend's passing and how the narrator will "cross that street" and they will meet again "on the other side".
"Your Irish Funeral" imagines a funeral [ not the actual one] where all the people the deceased knew were drunk and happy and singing his favourite songs.
The album closes with "I Want To Be Sure" in which the narrator is concerned to be sure that "he remembers it right" , and that he "remembers the warmer side" of his friend.
In conclusion, I have to say that this is an excellent album. On first hearing what draws you is the superb sound of two beautifully played acoustic guitars in harmony but once you listen to the lyrics you realise that there is a whole lot more to the album. The finely crafted lyrics are at once deeply personal yet very clear and direct. Through the ten songs, David Steinhart lays bare his emotions about the loss of his friend in a most eloquent way. This album deserves to be heard.
Peter Cowley
The Furious Seasons: “La Fonda” (2020) CD Review
When The Furious Seasons released their last album, Now Residing Abroad, in 2018, the country was figuring out how to deal with its new identity, with a racist and mendacious thug at the helm. That album helped us with its warmth, its humanity, even with its appealing title. Now it is two years later (though feels like a decade), and the entire country is dealing with anger and grief and disbelief. And The Furious Seasons are here to help us again, with a new album that deals with loss and heartbreak. La Fonda features original material, beautiful and engaging songs with memorable and meaningful lyrics. The Furious Seasons are the trio of David Steinhart on vocals and guitar; Jeff Steinhart on bass and keys; and P.A. Nelson on vocals, guitar and dobro. Joining them on this new release are Aubrey Richmond on violin, Eduardo Tancredi on drums and percussion, Arlan Oscar on accordion, and Alfonso Rodenas on percussion and backing vocals.
The album opens with “As A Matter Of Fact.” There is something beautiful and sad about the sound of this track, and so it immediately makes itself a home in my head. Everything feels at least a bit sad these days, doesn’t it? The song’s opening lines, “Well, the day breaks hot/Before you expect it will,” are lines everyone here in Los Angeles can relate to, where this song takes place. “And I don’t blame you much/L.A. just feeds your crutch/You drink it up/You backtrack.” This group is based in Los Angeles, and is able to capture and convey the feel of this city so well. And check out these excellent lines: “And it’s no secret that/She’d probably take you back/But how long could that last/You’d break that vow before the month is out/And her spirit just as fast.” And a line right near the end grabbed me as well: “L.A.’s all we’ve got.” That feels especially true these days, eh? These guys can really craft a lyric that gets in your head as well as pulls at your heart. Take these lines from “Figure It Out,” for example: “But I could have done/What I should have done/But I never did, and so/All that is left now/Is to figure out how to let you go.” Those lines are delivered gently, with care, which makes them all the more heart-wrenching and meaningful.The first lines of “Burn Clean” are delivered a cappella, which works to grab our attention and pull us in: “I may never hang that picture of you/I may never know exactly why.” In addition to a strong vocal performance, including some sweet harmonies, this track features some pretty work on violin by Aubrey Richmond. And check out these lines: “A new melody emerged/But that dissonant refrain/It rose like a monster from the bottom of the lake/Waiting for your soul to reclaim.” “And I believe you thought that it would save your life” is a wonderfully sad line for all that it conveys and all that it implies. “I Was An Actor” has a more cheerful sound right from the start, with that steady drum beat and that guitar work. It is another song of Los Angeles, mentioning the profession that everyone here at some point tries to embrace, as well as the Hollywood sign. Its opening lines are “For a little while/All the planets were aligned/You were a beacon/You were a North Star/And I was an actor.” As much as I like the lyrics, it is that guitar part during the instrumental section in the second half of the track that makes this one special. This group is adept at crafting opening lines that pull us in. The first line of “Slide Into Sadness” in particular stands out for me: “Anger slides into sadness.” Yes. That has been our existence for the past four years, and especially today. And what will come of the sadness? What will emerge from that? “Some tunes fade away/And some end suddenly/And some twist and turn and/End in a way you would never believe.” Ah, but we are ready. There is more sweet work on guitar here.“Statistically Speaking” has a beautiful and comforting sound. The line “Living scared, sick of myself, sick of this town” describes a feeling we’ve all been in touch with at some point, I imagine. It is probably common in places all over the world, but seems like something that is very much a part of life in Los Angeles. Yet there is hope in this song. There is hope. It is a song of second chances, of friendship. That’s followed by “Pitch Black.” In this song it is the final line that really sticks with me: “Could you just let me be someone that you can count on?” That is a great last line. Then “Vast Divide” has a brighter, fuller sound, yet is a song of loss and goodbyes and the possibility of meeting again. “Raise your glass and I’ll raise mine like everything is going to turn out fine.” Though of course that word “like” seems to imply to me that everything is not going to turn out fine. “But I’ve no illusions now/I kind of wish that I did.” Indeed.Being partly Irish myself, the title “Your Irish Funeral” stood out for me when I first glanced at the CD’s track list. On the occasions when I think of my own funeral, I usually think about what music I want played (Grateful Dead, Josh Lederman Y Los Diablos, Cat Stevens). In the funeral of this song it is the music of Jeff Buckley, The Avett Brothers and Paul Simon that is played. This song also mentions 3 Clubs, a place in Hollywood that used to play fun 1980s music once a week. “The room, it was rightfully heavy and sad/And I was just pissed off/I said some hard things/Some that needed saying/I feel less like that now.” The album then concludes with “I Want To Be Sure.” There is a looking back in this song, to what was probably a better time. It is a song of memory, but memory can elude us, can change things, can come in pieces. This is a song about wanting to remember things correctly, with the line “And I want to be sure that I remember it right.” Like the entire album, this song is beautiful and sad, and wonderful.
TAKE EFFECT
August 9, 2020
La Fonda
Self-Released, 2020
8/10
The acoustic folk-pop trio The Furious Seasons return with 10 thoughtful and varied new tunes on La Fonda, where contributors Aubrey Richmond brings violin, Edoardo Tancredi handles drums/percussion and Arlan Oscar offer accordion on a record inspired by love and heartbreak.
“As A Matter Of Fact” starts the listen with delicate folk-rock in a bare setting of much beauty, and “Burn Clean” follows with an orchestral angel as sweeping strings enter the cautious atmosphere.
Halfway through, “Slide Into Sadness” offers much grace in a sparse atmosphere, while “Statistically Speaking” benefits greatly from sublime acoustic guitar. “The Vast Divide”, an album highlight, then glides with rootsy melody in the instantly memorable delivery where well done vocal harmonies won’t go unnoticed.
“Your Irish Funeral” and “I Want To Be Sure” bookend the listen, as the former references Jeff Buckley lyrically and also in spirit with graceful song craft, and the latter finishes vocally expressive and introspective.
Jeff Steinhart, Paul Nelson and David Steinhart, i.e. The Furious Seasons, deliver their most personal album to date here, and their very relatable and vivid storytelling helps make La Fonda a standout in an already impressive catalog of folk based sounds.
Travels well with: Lee Gallagher And The Hallelujah- L.A. Yesterday; Ted Russell Kamp- Down In The Den
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The Furious Seasons ready to achieve wider recognition.One glowing review from No Depression magazine announced, “you are about to find your new musical obsession”, and other outlets both in the U.S. and in Europe made favorable comparisons to Jason Isbell, Bob Dylan, Paul Simon and others. Reviewer Shelagh Dolan at Indie Band Guru wrote, “Every track on the record is emotionally vulnerable, honest and accessible. You’ll spend all fall unpacking the layers.” “NPR should have made stars of these talented everymen eons ago.”—Jack Rabid, The Big Takeover
"The richly detailed lyrics deserve a careful listen, David Steinhart’s lead vocals are excellent, and the acoustic guitar work, which reminds me of Aztec Two-Step, is a treat. "-- The Morton Report
“The chemistry of the trio is palpable and intimate.”-- Jim Hynes, Glide Magazine
"The trio paints vivid and luxurious Americana tapestries that enhance lyrical tales covering everything from life in Los Angeles and the pain of divorce to subliminal political jabs ("The Loyal Canadians") and love songs ("So Sorry Adele"). "--Music Worth Buying
"David and Jeff Steinhart play together with Paul Nelson and they do that with the mastery of jazz musicians, the finesse lies in a smooth, almost restrained way of making music."--Altcountry.nl
“Their new album titled "Now Residing Abroad" features 13-tracks of relaxed melodies and wonderful harmonizing, beginning with soft, jazzy shuffle of "Expo Line.”’—The Record Journal
"Immovable but always searching, steadfast but insisting on the right of exploration, Now Residing Abroad is a well crafted addition to the genre, one that hits home with every line."--Liverpool Sound and Vision
"With jazzy elements underpinning the folkie vibe, the well worn writing comes from the heart and the performance comes from the soul. Hard hitting stuff that doesn't need to be over played to make it's point, it's a celebration of direct simplicity that connects over and over and over."--Midwest Record
"...sticks to their roots with well crafted and unpretentious songs that bring the listener back to the likes of Paul Simon and Milk Carton Kids....It is not folk in the traditional sense, it soars with deep personal stories and melodies that will stick with you..." (The Spill Magazine / Jan 2017)
"...For listeners who enjoy the likes of Paul Simon, Bob Dylan and Jason Isbell, you are about to find your new musical obsession. I sure did!" (No Depression / Jan 2017)