New Music Tuesday: Norman Salant: Always All Around You [Album]

Hello Folks! And welcome to our first (and hopefully many) addition of New Music Tuesday here at Trainwreck’d Society. And in keeping up with familiar fashion for the last decade of my career in discovering some pretty amazing tunes from the previous years, just days after publishing all of my “End of Year” lists already, wishing I had heard them just two weeks earlier! But alas, the brilliant sound has indeed been heard, and I am still so damn excited to share them with you.

So, no matter what the date says, I can definitely tell you that I have found absolute gold in Norman Salant’s amazing sophomore release, Always All Around You, as a singer/songwriter (and second in 2018 alone!) that is a beautiful and melodic folk masterpiece, if you dare say so myself. It is 10 brilliantly written tracks that evoke the power of nature, love, and the unyielding power of the world around us. If you were previously unaware of Salant’s work in this field, I simply cannot recommend this album enough. And I would also recommend checking out his previous 2018 album, Yodeling Goodbye, throwing them both on a playlist, and just mixing it up with the greatness that Norman was kind enough of offer up in 2018. It’s astoundingly enjoyable folk music, considering it came from the mind of a legendary figure in the electronic world. But, alas, art is and can be interpreted in so many different ways. And for some truly talented folks like Norman Salant, forms of expression are limitless!

I will admit that I was previous unaware of Norman Salant, or the immense amount of work he has been doing for over 30 years. It is most likely because he was working outside of my element as an electronic saxophonist. Although I was surprised to learn that he collaborated with the with the great Lynn Mabry at one point, which in retrospect, feels like an amazing experience that I need to check out! But nonetheless, without any prior knowledge of the man’s work or legacy, I am simply awestruck by the sound of Always All Around You. It’s hard to pinpoint a singular track that is special on its own, as the track list works best when played together, or in combination with his preivous album as I stated earlier. But, if I were to point out a couple of favorites, it would probably be “Grace (Love Song25)” and “Point Reyes”, which are reminiscent of those early Good Old War songs I fell love with a few years ago. Sweet. Melodic. And bursting with excitement yet remaining perfectly calm amongst the storm that is life spiraling around us.

It’s so good People! You have to check this one out. Plus, I’ve never steered you wrong in the past, right?

Always All Around You is available now wherever you buy and/or listen to music. Check out normansalant.com for details.