kellycompass
Great listening among a gathering of friends, or chillin' out alone at home! My favorite is "Who Know" with it's playful mix of John Lennon, Jack Johnson and Dylan influences, but I also dig both instrumental "Preludes." I was thinking to myself "wow, these would make great soundtracks for short animated films" when "Reflection" came on with its lovely video! Gorgeous movement. You sorta float down a river listening to these tunes, and I'll be taking many a repeat trip. Nice collection, Halper!
Favorite track: Who Knows.
By way of introduction, Nashville guitarist Josh Halper
quips, “I was raised in Tennessee by a Jewish, New York
Deadhead...” That’s not all you need to know about him,
but that curious and compelling combination captures the
mixture of humor, sorrow and musical virtuosity that
ripples throughout Halper’s debut album, Alrightnik.
Halper is a classically trained guitarist who studied at
Belmont University; he spent years playing in local bands
like Big Surr, Western Medication and Honey Locust, and
since graduating, he's become a go-to hired gun session
musician for artists like Chris Gantry, Emily Clement and
Bob Clement. Alrightnik bridges all these facets of Halper's
young but already prolific career. Constructed from the live
sets he'd been playing around town, the record comprises
a mix of deftly wry self-reflections, intricate guitar-forward
instrumentals and one faithful Randy Newman cover,
"Dayton, Ohio 1903."
Alrightnik is a fittingly sweeping and adventurous debut
that approaches life's misfortunes in a way that's
both thoughtful and comic. At times, it recalls Elliott Smith
and Modest Mouse, like on "Whale in a Field," an
exploration of the depths of melancholy during a long,
isolating year after an arrest. But that earnest introspection
is buoyed by Halper's sense of humor, which shines on
tracks like "Honest Feeling" and album highlight, "Who
Knows,"a frank and cheeky reflection on recklessness:
"Whatever we were doing was despicable," Halper sings,
"But it sure was fun." Meanwhile, instrumental cuts like
"Reflection" and "Desperation Waltz" draw as much from
Halper's classical background as they do from the finger-
picked flourishes of Leo Kottke, Bert Jansch and William Tyler.
Ultimately, these myriad musical strains are tied
together through a conceptual framework gleaned from the
Grateful Dead. The album's title, Alrightnik, is an American-Yiddish slang term for a successful person, but of the nouveau riche kind
— a little crass, a little smug. One could maybe read it as a
slight reproach on the hordes of people flooding Halper's hometown of Nashville, but it's more a sly, sightly self-
deprecating barb for a musician with a penchant for bolo ties and shirts with eye-popping patterns, a guitarist who
knows how to wield his instrument for both a laugh and a
cry.
credits
released December 4, 2020
Produced by Josh Halper
Engineered by Cameron Davidson at Cowboy’s Arms Hotel
Recorded at Cowboy’s Arms Hotel and Recording Spa in Nashville, TN
Violins Recorded by Nik Lizcano
Mixed by Ross Collier
Mastered by Mikey Young
Josh Halper: Acoustic Guitar, Electric Guitar, and Vocals
Simon Knudtson: Drums
Josh Minyard: Percussion
Cameron Carrus: Bass
Ryan Connors: Wurlitzer, Hammond B3 Organ, and Yamaha C3 Piano
Will Johnson: Pedal Steel Guitar
Austin Hoke: Cello
Laura Epling: Violin
Helen Vaskevitch: Trumpet (Track 6)
Julia Meredith: Baritone Saxophone and Clarinet (Track 6)
Trombone: Collin Felter (Track 6)
Omnichord and Therevox: Ross Collier (Tracks 1 and 8)
Special Thanks to: Jon Blistein, Caroline Bowman, Terry & Bob Clement, Michael Cormier, the Dead Chat, Wrenne Evans, Noah Fardon, THE Group, Harrison Luna, Pat & Wayne Halper, Neal Halper, Mike Harris, Parker Van Der Hyde, Frank Meadows, Emmett Miller, Walter Million, Trevor Nikrant, John Pell, Jon Samuels, and Cam Sarrett.
By way of introduction, Nashville guitarist Josh Halper quips, “I was raised in Tennessee by a Jewish, New York
Deadhead…”
That’s not all you need to know about him, but that curious and compelling combination captures the mixture of humor, sorrow and musical virtuosity that ripples throughout Halper’s debut album, Alrightnik....more
Gorgeous fingerstyle guitar playing from this Portland, Oregon musician that captures the spirit of American Primitive in dazzling detail. Bandcamp New & Notable Aug 30, 2021
The instrumental ensemble Dt/IG straddles the line between folk and classical, stirring acoustics augmented by sumptuous arrangements. Bandcamp New & Notable Oct 29, 2023
As soon as it finished playing through the first time, I just had to play the whole thing over from the top again. What a delightful mixture of Canterbury scene/sound and psychedelic folk (and hey, some motorik/cosmiche makes an appearance on one track to complete the '70s wallflower good vibes). World of Echo