Dusty Stray - Fire Place (Great Waters)

One of the things that stops music genres from evolving as fast as we might like is the effect of comfort zones, tradition, and sonic safety nets on the part of its creators. But surely as artists, playing by the rules, treading water and doing the same-old-same-old is precisely what you should not be doing. Music moves forward by breaking out of the box, exploring what’s over the next hill, doing what is interesting rather than comfortable, being adventurous, experimental, and off-kilter. And that, in a nutshell, sums up the attitude behind Dusty Stray and his eclectic music.

Born in Taiwan, raised in Texas and having traveled and performed all over the map from Central America to Europe delivering everything from blues to freak folk, psychedelia to bluegrass, Fire Place his sixth album under this moniker, is the product of all these genres and geographies and all of the events and experiences, moods and memories collected along the way.

If you wanted an easy catch-all handle, you could say that Fire Place is a collection of songs rooted in an Americana sound. But that is too simple, really, because he adds all manner of sounds and styles, musical elements and artistic expressions to the proceedings, and it is those sonic diversions that sets his music apart from the pack.

Take a song like “Anyway,” about the harsh realization that sometimes you are better off on your own, it’s a song built of bubbling psychedelia, pastoral country vibes, and indie-folk lilts. However, if you ask me again tomorrow, I might say it is slightly reggae-infused pop or give it some other tenuous tag. So difficult are his songs to define, but then again, why even bother? Those tribalistic days are behind us, and this music is perfect for the post-genre world we find ourselves in.

“Change Me” is shimmering, hushed, and reflective folk, “Happiness Strikes” moves us to the other side of the sliding, emotional scale for a bit of upbeat, banjo-led buoyancy, and “Vivian” is atmospheric, liquid, psych-folk in all its glory.

Fire Place is an album of brave, and often brutal, self-reflection, soul-searching songs written from personal experience about every aspect of love, loss, life, and longing. We can all relate to that, which is what makes these songs so honest and authentic, genuine and lived through. And those are the sort of songs that you always need in your life.

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