My Favourite Albums of 2018: Encore - Anderson East

I decided that I wasn't going to do a chart list of my favourite albums of the year but rather I would just share a few albums that have been bringing me a lot of joy in 2018. It's a nice mixed bag of musical stylings that I trust maybe one or two might be a little pleasing to your ears. The final one in my list will be what for me has been my overall favourite, you are just have to keep coming back to see what that one is.

I haven't been posting an awful lot this year but am grateful to those who have stuck by to read and listen to what little I have shared. The Blog reached over 500,000 Page views a couple of weeks back and for some reason it kind of passed by without fanfare. Thank you whatever land you are in across the globe for visiting Soundtrack4Life. I am really grateful for the continued interest despite my absences throughout the year.

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Encore - Anderson East
Elektra
Produced by Dave Cobb
Released 12th January 2018
US Billboard 200 Chart #48
US Folk Chart #3
US Rock Chart #5

Listen To The Album Here.

  Tracklist*
A1 King For The Day 
A2 This Too Shall Last
A3 House Is A Building   
A4 Sorry You're Sick
A5 If You Keep Leaving Me   
A6 Girlfriend   
B1 Surrender   
B2 All On My Mind    
B3 Without You    
B4 Somebody Pick Up My Pieces  
B5 Cabinet Door

* Here are live versions and Promo Videos of songs from the album taken from various places. Click on the Links to watch.

Anderson East hails from Alabama but currently is based in Nashville, Tennessee.

I have to confess to knowing very little about him but earlier this year I heard him cover Ted Hawkins' 'Sorry You're Sick' (the Cover Version features on the Encore album) and was blown away by it so much I had to check out more from him.

I liked the fact that Dave Cobb had produced the album. His previous work on albums by Jason Isbell, Sturgis Simpson, Zac Brown Band and Chris Stapleton impressed me a lot.

Another Cover Version on the album is a Willie Nelson song ('Somebody Pick Up My Pieces') whilst the rest of the songs are co-writes with a number of folks including Chris Stapleton (his wife Morgane Stapleton also has a co-write credit for 'King For A Day'), Natalie Hemby (who has written for Lee Ann Womack, Toby Keith, Miranda Lambert and Little Big Town), Avicii (Tim Bergling, Swedish DJ/Producer who died in April 2018), Johnny McDaid (Snow Patrol), Ed Sheeran, and Steve McEwan (who has written songs for the likes of Carrie Underwood, Faith Hill, Keith Urban, Kylie Minogue, Roger Daltrey, Eminem and more).

With a lot of Country type folk involved you might expect that Encore was going to be a Country album but it isn't at all. Yes, there are some tinges of Country (or Country Rock, whatever you want to call it), but there are nods to Southern Soul, Folk, Americana, Pop and R&B as well which all make for an album that is really worth listening to for its sheer diversity of sound.

Encore was the first album of 2018 to really impress me and there were many more to come. Keep your eyes opened for the next one in a couple of days time.

New Music For 2018: Encore - Anderson East (12th January 2018)

Encore - Anderson East

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Elektra
Produced by Dave Cobb
Released 12th January 2018

The Playlist doesn't contain the whole album but selected songs performed live* or are a Promo Video**.

On the Playlist is:

King For A Day*

This Too Shall Last*

House Is A Building*

Sorry You're Sick*

Girlfriend**

All On My Mind**

Side 1

 Sorry You're Sick is a Cover Version of a Ted Hawkins song from the 1982 album Watch Your Step.

Side 2

Somebody Pick Up My Pieces is a Cover Version of a Willie Nelson song that he performed with Emmylou Harris.

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So, the first album of 2018 that I'm giving some props to comes from Anderson East. I was aware of him a little as he co-wrote a couple of songs and sang on Miranda Lambert's latest album (The Weight of These Wings) and also has connections with Chris Stapleton and Holly Williams.

 

His own music I have to confess I am quite unaware of before this latest album (he has two self-released albums and his major label Debut Delilah from 2015).

 

What drew me to him at first was I had heard a cover of Sorry You're Sick, which is an old Ted Hawkins song (and I love the music of Ted Hawkins) and was struck by how soulful it was and how it sounded almost borderline like "Wicked" Wilson Pickett! For a guy who is connected to the world of Country Music to sound that good meant I should further investigate.

 

Hopefully from the short Playlist above you'll get a bit of a feel for how good this album is. It's a real combination of sounds ranging from Southern Soul, R&B, Country, blues and folk roots rock. It's fascinating stuff and I think even from the first month of the year that this is going to be an album that is going to get a lot of play in our house.

Great songwriting and musicianship and another feather in the cap for producer Dave Cobb, who has produced Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit, Chris Stapleton, Sturgill Simpson, Zac Brown Band and Amanda Shires (to name but a few) and also he produced the excellent Southern Family album that was released in 2016.

 

Anderson East, remember that name!

 

 New York Times Review.

 Paste Magazine Review.