Artist: Jefferson Grizzard
Album: Daydream of Hope
Label: Back Porch Syndicate
Release Date: 01/15/2016
Granted, Jefferson Grizzard doesn’t possess nearly as much name recognition as Graham Parker, Willie Nile, Willy Deville, or others of that ilk with a similar upstart attitude, but when it comes to street cred, he easily holds his own. With his third album, Daydream of Hope, Grizzard assumes the mantle of a scrappy blue collar rocker, ready to tussle with both dreams and disappointments in an effort to assert himself. So while he’s yet to benefit from any crowning kudos, it does suggest he has what it takes to rally the masses and attract the devoted legions. “Give Me a Sign,” “We’re Just Kids Babe,” “Sinners Like Me (Can’t Be Saved),” and “All That We Can Do Is Try” are the type of tunes that are capable of inspiring air guitarists everywhere — roiling anthems that are fierce, determined, rousing and relentless. Granted, there are a couple of detours — the parched ballad “Fallout Frenzy” and a pseudo tango of sorts, “All We Can Do Is Try” being the most diverse — but in general, this is a gritty call to arms, one that’s deeply personal, while still a beckoning call to the wider world at large. Daydream of Hope may be exactly that and little more, but its ample optimism is certainly well-founded.
-Lee Zimmerman
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