The title track off of Jason Anderson’s just released EP has a very certain vibe to it. It borders on lo-fi, but in a nostalgic and consoling sort of way. Anderson’s vocal sinks comfortably into the mix. He delivers his lines with a cool and quiet confidence. An almost Springsteen’s “Nebraska” atmosphere seeping into the track. It works really well. Unpretentious and causing a forced closer listen that hooks you in to hear the songwriter’s words in a more intimate way. Its the no frills and simple delivery that allow songs to seep into you and the oft melancholy feeling of “Back to Boston” provides a very visual and visceral listening experience. Where songs can just be songs…thats an important place to live every so often.
He wrote in explanation of this release, “Back to Boston traces a year’s dissolve, from the contracting days of autumn to the reflection and anticipation of New Year’s Eve—shifting perspective(s) filtered through a series of road trips from New York to New England. These hazy fragments were recorded the same day they were written, usually in the morning, all dreamlike surfacing and low-key urgency.
The futility in clinging too tightly to any one thing. The tender anchor of community and the people who make it such. Cautious optimism. Impermanence. Acceptance. Whatever you find in these songs, my hope is that it’s helpful, healing, and maybe even feels a bit like home.”
And he masterfully engages an audience with that feeling. That sentimental recollection and reminiscence that permeates the arrangement of the song and digs into your own consciousness. The full record is streaming and available for purchase on your service of choice today (I suggest bandcamp though https://jasonanderson.bandcamp.com/album/back-to-boston)