Zane Drake - Good Morning Nowhere (2016)

Good Morning Nowhere was recorded back in 1993 on a used Fostex cassette recorder that was held together with spit and rubber bands. The 4-track masters were recently discovered in a garage, inside a cobwebbed-cardboard box with an inch of dust preserving its contents. After 23 years, this fine Zane Drake album is finally seeing the light of day. These recordings are pretty stripped-down folks, just acoustic guitars and vocals, with a few embellishments here and there. No fancy studio gear or expensive microphones were available at the time, but that doesn’t take away from the beauty of Zane’s songs. Poignant and passionate music that gets its point across with minimal production, you can’t help but believe and feel every word he’s singing.

In the tradition of albums like Bruce Springsteen’s Nebraska, Steve Earle’s Train A Comin’ or Townes Van Zandt’s For The Sake Of The Song, Good Morning Nowhere takes a similar Americana/Country Gothic road trip to the outer fringes of desolation, albeit in a more melodic framework. You may remember Zane Drake from his previous ‘90s band called The Missionarys, who also released some great music during their time together.

TRACKLIST

01. Every Waking Hour
02. Thunderbomb
03. Laying Carolina
04. Before I Die
05. Last 10 Seconds
06. Blues in Bombay
07. Just Far Enough
08. Cock & Bull Story
09. Elecktra
10. Don't Say Another Word
11. Thorns & Nails
12. Cyclone