Chuck Ragan’s fans have had to wait three years for Till Midnight, which is Chuck’s fourth solo release on SideOneDummy. 2011’s Covering Ground was highly acclaimed and to date is my personal favourite Ragan offering. Till Midnight therefore has a lot to live up to.
Chuck’s glorious gravelly tone is superlative and always compelling to listen to and there’s no change there. The songs follow similar paths of lyrical content as previous records but move towards a more alt-country sound rather than the usual folk-rock we’ve been accustomed to. Backing band, The Camaraderie, really drive the sound of Till Midnight, creating a more rustic and country sound to the songs.
This record, as with most of Ragan’s releases, features a number of guest artists; Rami Jaffee of the Wallflowers/Foo Fighters, Ben Nichols of Lucero, Dave House, Jenny O, Chad Price and Jon Snodgrass of Drag The River. Chuck likes to involve his friends in the studio just as he does with the renowned Revival Tour, a collaborative touring show of punk rock and alt-country acts curated and conceptulaized by Ragan himself.
After just a few listens I haven’t identified any particular stand out tracks other than maybe the final song, For All We Care, which delivers a rousing finale. However, I feel that to fully enjoy Chuck Ragan’s music you have to see it performed live. Heartfelt and empassioned peformances make his sing-along anthems come alive; a UK tour is happening in May so you should catch a show if you can.
Till Midnight isn’t going to be known for being groundbreaking or innovative, it’s just more of what we’ve heard before from Ragan but as always it is well executed. Chuck Ragan has created his own brand of heart-on-sleeve, Californian punk-folk and demonstrates this strongly with Till Midnight, without straying too far from the well beaten path. The songs however are like stories and once you get to know them I’m sure you’ll want to hear them over and over again.
Review by Eleanor Lawton
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