Music Lovin’ 5: Letters to the Editor, Vol. 1
*Part 5 of a multi-part look at some of my favorite albums of the year*
Andrew Osenga, Letters to the Editor, Vol. 1
Andrew Osenga has a fascinating musical background. He was frontman for the short-lived and underappreciated band The Normals (purchase their album A Place Where You Belong before it’s too late). Then, upon their dissolution, spun his music into a solid solo career featuring some amazing albums all worth purchasing. Following and alongside his solo work he has joined the band Caedmon’s Call in the last few years after Derek Webb’s departure (and subsequent rejoining).
Much like Don Chaffer of Waterdeep, Andrew Osenga’s songwriting and vocals are a thing I could listen to 24/7 given the opportunity and enough food, water and bathroom visits. Throughout my love affair with his music his voice and sound have called to mind no less than Peter Gabriel, Tom Petty, Paul Simon and Bruce Springsteen all sort of rolled up into one.
This newest album was completed in two weeks in his basement studio, The Velvet Eagle, with loads of help from his online community. A frequent blogger, Osenga solicited ideas for this album by way of pictures, phrases, stories and any other random suggestions fans might make, many of which made it into the final product.
If you’ve never heard of Andrew or have just been meaning to listen to the guy, now’s the time: Letters to the Editor is available for free download at his site with a suggested donation of six bucks to cover the 6 songs. You can’t beat that!
Favorite lyric:
“I told myself the habits and secrets,
were just to get me through,
just to get me through the nights,
but I got lost in a world of angles,
in a city of greys and lies”
-from Swing Wide the Glimmering Gates
Songs worth iTunesing:
All of ‘em! Cause they’re 6 bucks or free at his site!
Of course, I love it. I used “Swing Wide” in a presentational service at Merge two weeks ago. Beautiful stuff.