Sunday, January 28, 2018

Eric Erdman New Album Review


Eric Erdman is an artist I’ve mentioned in passing a few times on this blog, but it’s well past time for him to get his due on here. I met Eric I guess around 2013 when I was hanging out with Markus Fox. Did I mention Eric is Markus Cousin? I’ll give you a little background on the man. He used to play in a band called “The Ugli Stick” of which many of my friends were followers, but never really hit my radar. It wasn’t until I started hanging out with Markus that I learned about Eric. Sitting at the table with Markus’ mom and their grandmother it was clear she was insanely proud of the musical talents that “her boys” possessed.

Eric is a true singer/songwriter out there hustling to get his music and voice out there but he’s quite ok with local success that allows him to pay his bills, travel the world playing his guitar and just enjoying life. However he’s too good for just our local shelves. While it’s selfish on our part for him to remain a local artist every time I listen to the radio I think Eric does this so much better and deserves way more of the spotlight. What better time to do that than when he’s dropping a new album, “It’s Not Like You Don’t Know Me” so forgive me for a moment while I fan girl on a dude who gives fantastic hugs and play a guitar even better.

I have 4 of Eric’s albums :
·       It’s Not Like You Don’t Know Me – Released in Jan. 2018 which is the main focus of this post see review below …
·       Not Slowing Down – Released in 2015 (via a Kickstarter fund raising effort for which I happily put my money where my mouth was)
o   This album excited me cause it wasn’t anything like the last two albums (below) but it had an Eric feel to it. You heard the lyrics and knew that the amazing brain housed in the head of Eric Erdman created each and every track. Each song tells a story and as he’s telling it you are seeing it in your head and as you know dear reader I love it when tracks do this. 
§  Tracks you should listen to right now “Aint Ben Right”  “Garden or Gun” “Mistake of a Woman” and “Objects in the Mirror” – get those tracks and you’ll come back for the rest of album. 
·       Color the Silence – Released in 2013 (which introduced me to the Hussy Hicks from Australia (but more on them in another post) 
o   I love everything about this album. It’s my go to album when I’m stressed at work and need to calm down but stay productive. This album from track one to track 10 is filled with songs easy on the ear but that also play tricks on the head and when you get the little nods in each song they make you smile.
§  Funny story. . . Eric is a pretty family friendly guy. Not many NC-17 stickers covering his album covers. At the record release party for this album he sang a song that had a few “bad words” in it. Now throughout the night as he sang he’d have people get out on the dance floor often couples sometimes singles but when he started singing a “safe version” of “Lucky (el Paso) in which he modified the lyrics to not offend anyone the dance floor filled with a TON OF KIDS all dancing their hearts out which made me laugh. As he finished singing he also commented on how that was his favorite part of the night. 
§  Tracks you should listen to right now “Last Night’s Wine” “Burn the Bridges” “Color the Silence” and “Some People”  -- then come back for the rest of the album. 
·       My Brother’s Keeper – Released in 2012 (Which I bought at the record release party for Color the Silence)
o   This album is filled with classic Eric tracks, if you go to a show you are going to hear at least two of these if not more. It’s a fantastic album, and the word play throughout is candy for my brain as well as my ears. 
§  Funny story . . . . I had my younger nephew in the car with me I guess he was around 8 or 9 and we were listening to the album as I drove him from point A to B. well I was listening he was playing a game on my phone not really paying attention to anything. Well there’s a song on this album called “Amy it Aint” which is a song about a young lady who didn’t understand that a relationship had ended. Towards the end of the song out of no where Andrew said “Geeze Amy just doesn’t get it!” I busted out laughing and when we reached our destination I tweeted Eric to tell him that story and he wrote back … “no she did not! Tell him he’s not wrong” – or something to that effect. It was a cute moment that reminded me they are ALWAYS PAYING ATTENTION. 
§  Tracks you should listen to right now “If Two Wrongs Don’t Make a Right”   “Too Close to Heaven”  “Saltwater” and “Peanut Butter and Jealousy” – then come back for the rest of the album it’s fantastic.

His new album, It’s Not Like You Don’t Know Me, has 11 tracks on it, 3 of which are remakes from a previous album but they are such great songs I’m not even annoyed by that.

Let’s go track by track … cause you know me that’s how I do. As previously stated these are the thoughts that run through my head as I listen to each track. Enjoy. 

The Pond – The imagery in this song grabbed me early before I even listened to the song. I also love that I can hear Eric’s fingers as they hit the strings, I love that in a song. I’m in love with the words in this song. Every time I listen to it I get a new gem for my ears to drive into.

Favorite from this song… 
              The pond before the pebble's cast
              Doves before they scatter
              The smooth sheet of perfect glass before it felt the shatter
              The marble before sculptor
              The page before the pen
              Or what I would ask you now if I could go back and ask you then

That’s What Love Does – When you get past the music and listen to the words, which is helped by a semi-acoustic version of this song on the album it hits all your feels at once. You can feel the love in this song from a woman who gave everything she had for her family. Even at the end. I can see her laying in the bed likely making sure everyone else was comfortable despite her own discomfort from her cancer fight. He could have been talking about any southern grandma and that’s what makes it special. To take something, a moment that’s so personal to him and make it universal is a gift. I’m not gonna lie this one … it made me cry.

It’s Not Like You Don’t Know Me – I think every artist wants to sing this song, that is if they lay it all on the line the way Eric and really great musicians do. Sadly, most don’t have the guts. I like this one I’d love to know who he’s singing to here is it the fans, is it a family member, is it himself. I almost see it as a wrestle match with himself in that he can talk to people through a song but it’s harder for him in person. Not sure why I’ve gone there with it but that’s what I think of when I listen to it. Every.single.time.

The Well –I’m going to have to spend more time with this one before I wrap my brain around it. I kept thinking of a coworker going through some things non-work related and would love for her to hear this song but not sure how she’d react to it. I think she’s at a crossroad where she’s likely asking herself these questions or at least feeling what this song outlines. It’s dangerous sometimes in our own heads.

You’re Still Dangerous –I need more time with this one too…right now all I think about when I listen to it is Bonnie and Clyde and wonder if this is how their conversations went as they were speeding around in their car away from the heist.

What Karma Wouldn’t Do – The ultimate revenge song I hope he felt it and that it hurt very much, good for her, good for him and GREAT for Eric for being able to put this story together and this video in my brain. Karma she’s a witch and sometimes … she needs help.

The Leader of the Exodus – I LOVE everything about this song and all artist, new and old should be forced to listen to it every morning when they step out of their beds. Eric has before talked in songs about the mediocrity of music lately and especially the Country side of the table which has recently been filled with more bro country than I’d like to hear. My favorite line …. “In this town where the best thing you can be is overplayed” cause that’s what it is all about isn’t it? Stations play what other stations play, over and over again no matter if it has substance or worth. That’s why artist like Eric are important. The guys who spend their weekend going from gig to gig cause they love to play, love to feel the instrument in their hands and love what they can do with that instrument when left to their own devices to just … play and create.

What’s Left of What Used To Be – A  remake of a classic Eric song. I could listen to this song every day all day long and never get tired of it. I love the idea of a bulletproof younger person who realizes that’s not the case. Reflection is the theme of this song, and in this remake of this song he’s slowed it down and made it a little more mournful and allows the audience to really focus on the words. I love that. Well done Eric.

The Drought Is Over – a true love song that starts with a drought and I love the journey it took to get there. If it’s the summer I think he’s talking about I remember it well. At the beginning of the song you get this sense of relief about everyone standing on their porch thinking finally then it flips everything and turns into a love song and it’s fantastic.

Favorite from this song… 
              May 1st , rain is falling
              It’s coming down
              No doubt this gully washer’s
              Drenchin’ the ground
              Those Sweet honeysuckles
              Yellow and pink
              Open, to the sky
              To get a drink

I mean the visual that pops into one’s head is just …. Lovely.

I Get Carried Away – Another remake of a classic Eric song. The first time I heard this I remember thinking I want to go give him a hug. I love the flow of this track and I love how it all comes full circle by the end of it.

Bird On A Powerline – Another remake of a classic Eric song. I love this song, love everything about it. The video that it makes play in my head, the playfulness in Eric’s voice as he sings it and just the overall vision that it took to create this song about this young man (stalker) watching his lady love going about her day only to know that she will never ever notice him but he’s watching every step she takes. It often makes me wonder how many people you may see throughout your day that you don’t even notice but that notice you.

You can get any of these albums mentioned at Eric’s website below, and you really should get them ASAP:


Enjoy an artist who has given me years of joy and whom I hope will give my ears many many more songs to digest and play with as I listen for all the cleaver nods that he builds into his music. I told him once that I wanted to walk around in his brain for like an hour and just marvel at it’s awesomeness. He warned me that it was a wild place ….. I still want to do it tho cause wild as it may be … it’s still a pretty awesome brain to come up with the lyrics he does.

Check out Eric and your ear holes will thank me !

Once again Eric … to be the pen to your paper must be quite an honor for the ink. Thank you for sharing your talents, time, and voice with us. 

Marcy (@beaslma)

No comments:

Post a Comment