Atlanta native Nate Currin brought his Southern roots to his new home in San Francisco to create an acclaimed concept record based on the 1678 book The Pilgrim’s Progress by English writer and preacher John Bunyan.
The Pilgrim, his sophomore effort on Archaic Cannon, is a beautiful interpretation of the story Currin hoped to deliver about the book and its magic historical significance.
Songs such as “Footsteps At My Back” and “A Beautiful House” are just a few standouts in this collection of 18 gloriously written songs, full of wit, poetic charm, wisdom, sadness, darkness and triumph. Truly, Currin weaves his present day life as a songwriter and storyteller into the story told by Bunyan, interpreting the concepts, characters and places that reside within.
The music is striking; the guitar, percussion and background vocals are stirring, the lyrics emotionally grabbing. The production and mastering bring to the album crystal clear sound and truly accentuate the piano, acoustic guitars and harmonies well.
“The Traveler’s Road” is a favorite, a folksy hymn that is soft and soothing, depicting the adventures of traveling pilgrims, mixed in with Currin’s own life on the road.
The Pilgrim is a feel-good album most of the way through, relaxing and romantic to the soul and ears. A joy to discover, perhaps one of its main overall themes is to “hold on fast and don’t give in” on life, and “when you’re tired, carry on.” That’s certainly a great bit of advice to give to songwriters following in Currin’s footsteps.
Nate Currin - The Pilgrim
- San Francisco, CA
- (Archaic Cannon Records)
- Produced by Simon Illa and Nate Currin
- Engineered by Tony Terrebonne and Paul Reeves
- Mixed by Simon Illa
- Mastered by TW Walsh
- www.natecurrin.com