Blair Combest

This is Blair Combest’s follow-up to his 2003 debut, Prettier than Ugly. Though only in his 20s, Combest’s music sounds like that of a seasoned songsmith. As a kid, he logged hours riding in the back seat of his mother’s station wagon, watching the road unravel behind him, while her good taste in John Prine, Johnny Cash and Bob Dylan made impressions in his mind. By ten he had his own guitar and was writing songs. A soul older than his earthly years, Combest’s literary influences and his own writing projected a wisdom that appealed to an older crowd. By 15 he was playing gigs and making a name for himself on the local scene. Combest has come the distance and it’s fair to say he’s earned his chops. His latest can be appreciated for its poetry and the subtle strings that carry his sit-down-and-listen vocals; a voice that pierces the periphery like Steve Earle or Neil Young, but is weathered like Springsteen or Dylan. It’s the kind of music you don’t get sick of, because it’s more than notes and clever phrasing. We call this music timeless because of its ability to tap into the human experience with its expression of raw, though slightly tempered, emotion. It doesn’t titillate, pontificate or aggravate. It communicates. So listen.