Album Review: Ags Connolly - Yesterday's Man
Character immersion is a key facet of Ags Connolly’s writing, likely aided by his other shift as a published novelist.. You sense the work of a man in a parallel existence. His songs hit the mark as the mind is displaced from rural Oxfordshire to a random barroom in Austin or Fredericksburg. The tools are sharpened on his latest album with a schooled capability to read the classic country rule book. Alongside a dive into the complexities of human emotion, YESTERDAY’S MAN refines the sonic landscape with tender layers of delectable pedal steel heading an exemplary musicianship.
Ten tracks form this optimally received album where not a breath is wasted. The sculpted vocals set the scene. The lyrics drop subtle clues of context. The effect leads the listener along a highway littered with rueful debris and contemplative charm. Connolly’s pen carves a caricature, while the sound induces the odd two step, shuffle or gentle sway to the sad chords of a resigned beat.
Nostalgia reigns supreme in the lead track. ‘Yesterday’s Man’ hails a time when dreams were untainted and travails yet to emerge. Pedal steel courtesy of established British country musician Sarah Jory launches second track ‘What I am Gonna Think About’ before Connolly evokes a bout of lonesome reflection. ‘Didn’t I Say’ injects a minor energy surge buoyed by fiddle and mandolin with post-interaction analysis filling the narrative. The thoughts of a wry old romantic are expressed.
You detect less character and more autobiography in ‘That Song Caught Me Wrong’ as an homage to Texas great Billy Jo Shaver unravels via the ultimate connection between artist and listener. It is common knowledge that Ags Connolly is as much a studious observer of country music as accomplished purveyor. The album midway point is reached with a conversationist slant to ‘Come Back Round’. We are in full blown crooning territory now with omnipresent pedal steel wringing out every ounce of emotion.
‘Aren’t You Lucky’ adopts a self-deprecating tone where the narrator would surely get an empathetic ear if a two-way communication channel was opened. On the other hand, the arrogance in ‘When You Had The Chance’ may get slapped back in any response. Mischievous play elevates the writing, while a superlative guitar break raises the spirit.
Lonesome barroom drinking is a country music staple and sympathy freely flows towards the plight of the narrator in ‘That Might Have To Do’, where honesty and truth are poignantly conveyed. ‘And Then I Woke Up’ elevates its impact through a simple acoustic stripped back delivery with slight fading twang added for effect. Positive feel good vibes are attached to closing number ‘Someone Wrote a Song About You’ where a serene burst of fiddle in the latter stages gives a vibrant effect.
YESTERDAY’S MAN is arguably Ags Connolly finest body of work to date. He wonderfully presents a concise effort adorned with alluring lyricism dealing raw emotion from the heart. A tiptop production shapes a release boosted by its architect passionately immersed in the genre.
