For years I’ve been listening to a kid from Nashville named Andrew Peterson. You’re likely to have been listening to him too. He’s the one with the voice as smooth as a cello, and the story-telling intuition of Garrison Keillor (Andrew is also an accomplished novelist).
These days, musicians are releasing what should be a record of b-sides with one or two decent songs. I don’t blame them. There’s not much of a commercial reason to stick a bunch of hits on one album. But Counting Stars is not such a release. From the first track, I stopped working and turned it up and leaned back in my chair. It felt like a record I’d heard before, something immediately familiar. It’s the record you are searching for for a long night-drive in the country. It will make you want to cut the roof off your car so you can see the stars. And if you’re driving with friends, forget talking. You’ll just feel together.
Tracks to pay attention to: Many Roads, World Traveler, You Came So Close and Dancing in the Minefields
Many Roads is a sly smile against cynicism. It’s Andrews way of saying some things are miraculous, mysterious, good, and that you and I are not accidents. World Traveler is not about world traveling as much as it is about staying home. After hearing the song a few times, I wrote to a friend and told him my favorite place on earth to visit was the .29 acres on which I live. World Traveler is not about looking for something, it’s about having found it. You Came so Close is another thumb at cynicism and hopelessness. Dancing in the Minefields is a song about risk, a requirement to love and be loved. But these aren’t little happy songs. Peterson has the tone of a man who has seen very hard things, but finds light behind whatever it is that is causing the shadows. He sings about that light.
I list these songs in case you are going to head over to I-tunes and sample the record. But do me a favor. Get the whole thing. You can always duct tape the roof back on your car come winter.
Thanks Andrew. I needed this one.
Andrew gets a little more love when you buy the record here.
Here’s a sample from the new record. Dancing in the Minefields:
So good to hear about other people who listen to Andrew Peterson. Been listening to him for almost a decade now and I feel like there are never enough fellow AP fans. Let’s spread the love!