Artist: Dustin Kensrue
Album: Please Come Home
Label: Equal Vision Records
www.dustinkensrue.com
www.equalvision.com
I was excited about this album ever since the song “I Knew You Before” was first posted on Myspace. I was not disappointed at all. The eight track album is nothing but pure country rock bliss. Please Come Home is a departure from Kensrue’s post-hardcore that he’s well known for in Thrice, but I think that Thrice fans will pick up this cd and not be disappointed. I know I wasn’t.
Kensrue uses a plethora of instruments in his solo debut. He uses some old-timey country favorites such as the acoustic guitar and the harmonica (ex: “I Knew You Before”, “Pistol”), and he also uses plays percussion and bass. He brings in fellow Thrice member Teppei Teranishi to play the organ and piano on some of the tracks and Chris Jones on drums and electric guitar.
Lyrically, Please Come Home is a very personal record. The song “Pistol” is a song dedicated to Kensrue’s wife, while many of the other songs deal with a personal journey of faith in God; for example, the songs “I Believe” and “Weary Saints”. The title song “Please Come Home” is a modern-day retelling of the biblical story of the Prodigal Son. The lyrics are passionate and sorrowful.
The album has this quality that not many artists are displaying these days. It is a throwback to the 60’s, the 70’s, and beyond. It has the potential to be a timeless record, and perhaps we will still be talking about this album in the future just like we still reminisce about Johnny Cash. Dustin Kensrue managed to pull off a simplistic, back-to-basics approach to his album. He stripped away all the over the top production and left a heartfelt solo effort that leaves the listener begging for more.
This cd is a must have for any music fan.