Jeremiah Wilson – “The Rocky Coast Of Maine”

Jeremiah Wilson – “The Rocky Coast Of Maine” – Single Review

From the brand-new upcoming record from Indie/Folk artist Jeremiah Wilson called Fog Rolling In due out this summer, we’ve got one of the album’s lead-singles here on our playlists & in review today.  Stoked to hear what he’s come up with – I really enjoyed what I had heard from him the last time we had him on our pages, back in April 2018 with the review of his song “Winter Came Early That Year.”  Dude flexed a real songwriter’s gift on that single – and he’ll do it once again within the quaint confines of his latest song as well – Jeremiah’s got a genuine way with words and writes about interesting topics.

According to the notes I’ve got here in front of me that came along with “The Rocky Coast Of Maine,” the song is “inspired by a famous ship wreck that took place off the New England coast in the 1600’s” – so how’s that for an example of the uniqueness in his writing?  When was the last time you can remember hearing a song that was “inspired by a famous ship wreck that took place off the New England coast in the 1600’s?”  Probably been a while I’m guessing?  The man’s got his interests, and like I said, he’s willing to write about’em and makes no bones about it – you can literally read about how subjects like these are in the DNA of his music when checking out his bio & sites online.  The point I suppose is, that what Wilson writes about is nearly inherently interesting given the fact that it’s as different as it is; in a world full of songs about chicks & cars & love-songs everywhere, believe me, a short reprieve from any of those subjects is always a welcome thing through these speakers of mine – I’m sure yours as well.  Aside from any of my own thoughts or insights, the notes that came with “The Rocky Coast Of Maine” continued on, to make it all clear, explaining that, in the “bigger picture, the song is about making peace with the past.”  And yes…you can also infer that through the information that’s been supplied & you’ve now read for yourselves, that Jeremiah is obviously putting a lot of thought into his craft from the lyrics to the music, right up to the way he’s getting it out there into the world for us all to enjoy with at least an idea of what’s up when it comes to what he’s singing about on “The Rocky Coast Of Maine.”  I’m most often found on the side of more information is always a good thing…so for me, I dig knowing what’s inspired him to write this & having a clue into what it’s about adds more depth to the experience.  His lyrical imagery, vocal-melody, and singing voice all allow you to get fully immersed & invested in the story & song – and that hint of like…golden-glow of 50’s/60’s-inspired sound that comes along with the brightness in the chorus also seriously hits the spot.  You kind of get two-sides of this story as “The Rocky Coast Of Maine” plays on – you get the more sincere sound & perspective from the verses, and the bulk of the description & storylines there as well for sure, but you’ll also notice you hear a whole lot more confidence and hope firing up the energy of the chorus too – what you get, is an excellent mix and sweet balance in between the strength of both of the song’s main elements.  You’ll also hear smart additions to the song like the seagulls chiming in at the beginning & end of the song; and as far as the instrumentation goes, you’ll even find the uniqueness you want exists there too, with quite the charming sound resulting from the combination of Irish bouzouki, banjo, and fiddle all in this single.

It might be “The Rocky Coast Of Maine,” but Jeremiah makes this experience a smooth one, like gliding on a raft on a gentle river on a hot summer day as the music soothes ya.  As to whether or not that’s the match he’s looking for theme-to-energy wise, I’m assuming he’s cool with the contrast – especially considering the fact that this gentle acoustic-based approach to this song allows the magic & wonder of the story to unfold so effectively.  Wilson sings this delicate tune with powerful & moving emotion – I also really loved the harmonica in this song whenever it showed up – and overall, it felt like “The Rocky Coast Of Maine” really did take me somewhere else other than right where I actually am, which is of course, sitting in this chair and writing about this solidly satisfyin’ tune.  Bottom line is, I appreciate a singer/songwriter like Jeremiah Wilson that has the ability to create moments in time that transport us in our thoughts to a whole different place entirely of his own design, wherever his imagination & inspiration will take us to next.  “The Rocky Coast Of Maine” bucks the trends of music in several ways, up to & including being a slow-tune in the single-department – but what it does reveal is the consistency in Wilson’s writing, music, and all-around execution – he’s definitely a Folk-artist your ears can rely on for quality tunes that are as interesting as they are entertaining, and as melodic as they as insightful.

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