The Next Best Thing
Charlotte, NC
(Ramseur Records)
“Avett brother joins friends for latest Americana journey”
David Childers, the lead man of Overmountain Men, has gained respect and acclaim in the North Carolina folk/Americana scene. The Avett Brothers have made a cover video of his bittersweet song “The Prettiest Thing,” a track that they frequently perform to massive audiences, who often scratch their heads, wondering why they haven’t heard of David Childers before. (The Avett’s bassist Bob Crawford is a member of Overmountain Men, along with guitarist Randy Saxon and drummer Robert Childers.)
Perhaps the band will be less anonymous with the release of their sophomore effort, The Next Best Thing, an album filled with melodic self-explorative songs like “All Out of Diamonds” and historical odes in “Halls of Glory” (about Teddy Roosevelt’s rise to leadership) and “Alexander Hamilton” (about, well, Alexander Hamilton). Childers’ songwriting and the album’s instrumentation harken back to retro country in the spirit of Waylon Jennings, but influences of folk and rock appear, especially on the title track. Duets with Charlie Lowry on “Hard Loving You” and “Smoke and Mirrors” fill out the romantic portion of the album, but stick around for the last song, “Twilight Road,” which is a beautiful description of love that never quite seemed to manifest.
Produced by David Childers and Bob Crawford
Mixed by Douglas Williams and Robert Childers
www.overmountainmen.com