We are loving the very newly released EP from JD Hinton over here and it's mainly because it's got this vintage drive to it that lets the whole thing hit with a thick atmosphere and all the songs on this record have a bit of a message to them that feel pretty personal and also quite relatable at the same time.
One of the best things about this release is how it takes a roots folk rock and Americana style approach and gives it a little grit and energy so that it has more of that in your face kind of feeling along with the fact that you end up finding yourself paying a lot of attention to those lyrics which are constructed in a quite a brilliant way and this is where you start to feel the vibe of where JD is coming from on this release.
The EP is called Traveler, and it speaks a lot of truths about JD and his journey to refresh and sort of find himself again which is something a lot of people go through in life present company included.
I think that when people have those kinds of thoughts, feelings, or emotions, they need an outlet. Things have been possibly building for a while, and one has to find a way to get that out.
For JD Hinton, it comes in the form of writing songs of course and I think that's brilliant because you get that thick laid honesty with every song here but along with that honesty you get these sort of dirty tones on the guitar, an energy that is balanced so well with whoever is listening to it that it feels like it's in tune with you.
We are certainly digging that personal approach and vibe and how he's able to change up those guitar tones per song so that the overall color of the song makes more sense to the lyrics.
They're all beautifully done and they all have heart and that's possibly the thing that really shines the brightest here.
This was a record that JD recorded for himself and honestly, no one else.
When we listen to this record, we get it all. It all makes perfect sense and a lot of lines in a lot of songs are ones that we relate with on a crazy level but, this was a passion project that JD had to do so that he could again, in part, find himself again.
I am not him of course so I could be a little off point here, but it really feels like that when you listen to the record. It feels like someone who's finding or found himself again after possibly being lost for a little bit and these are the stories of how that happened and the things that affected him along the way.
The last track on the record is called "My Time Has Come" and to me it feels like it serves as a testament to what he is really about.
Without giving too much away, this track Stands Tall on the record and has the most heart, makes the most sense, and speaks the highest volume for JD and where he is at right now.
It's a gorgeous song and also gives you that roots and Americana approach which is a huge part of his songwriting and definitely was a staple across the EP as well.
It's a record about looking ahead and instead of looking behind. Not forgetting about your past but not letting it rule where you're going.
All this again, is beautifully displayed throughout the record and the EP as a whole, is an Anthem for many of us.
It tells us to push through, move forward, and find our happiness in a way.
A realization of who we are as a result of not only a combination of events, but more a mindset.
All the songs on the record are thriving and spirited, laced with heart and soul.
Have a good listen to this record and remember where you heard it first.