Drew Nelson - Tilt-A-Whirl

Drew Nelson - Michigan folk/rocker follows up his 2009 independent release Dusty Road to Beulah Land with this "grittier" collection that resides comfortably between the acoustic reflections of John Gorka and the midwestern roots-rock basics of John Mellencamp (or an electrified Nebraska via Bruce Springsteen) // Release: Tilt-A-Whirl (February 14, Red House) // Sounds like: with a Nashville-ian shuffle and distinctive bassline saunter, there's a solid alt-country feel to much of Nelson's rustic, heartfelt ruminations...along with some rich Hammond B-3 chords beefing up the mix, producer multi-instrumentalist Michael Crittendon and Bettye LaVette guitarist Brett Lucas give the proceedings an occasional jolt of electricity...

Quote: ““This will be the record to open some doors...I got real comfortable with rocking out a bit more.I think the writing’s better, more concise.” // What we like: taking its cues from Jackson Browne-styled lyrical ramble and Springsteen-ish dynamics, lead track "Promised Land" glows brightly with a solid rush of heartland rock wattage..."St. Jude" exemplifies Tilt-A-Whirl's artisan craftsmanship, a simply-structured melody fleshed out masterfully in the studio...delicate acoustic picking, ticking beat and Nelson's sandpaper vocals turn "Here and There" into an understated gem of wistful bedroom folk...

Drew Nelson - "Promised Land" (from Tilt-A-Whirl)

Drew Nelson - Tilt-A-Whirl Sampler (St. Jude, 5th of September, Copper, My Girl)