By DONNA BALANCIA
The Cerny Brothers bring a treasured piece of home with them on their musical Odyssey Looking For The Good Land.
Bob and Scott Cerny take the listener on a long journey with the new album due May 3. But in accompanying the brothers on their mission, it becomes apparent there are some hard left turns along the way.
Adventure is high, but temptation runs rampant down that wrong road where decisions must be made. Looking For The Good Land points out the trappings people want, but at what cost?
This is a strong collection of 12 Americana songs that raise issues and hope that when you’re armed with memories and good thoughts from loved ones, you won’t get lost.
The music on Looking For The Good Land varies in pace and sentiment from wild boogie woogie like on “Laugh At The Devil,” to the dreamy “Moons Above the Desert” to the mystical “Night On The Town.” The vocals soar above mundane day to day life and take the listener deep into a new world within the alt-country genre.
A favorite is “American Whore,” which lays bare the distance one’s life can cover. Los Angeles has its good points but it can be wearying seeing the fakes, and it’s true the superficiality can wear one down. But it’s a good place to dream. While dreaming is free, as they say, to obtain might lead to an ethical compromise. How much can your morals endure in the city of Angels?
The record creates wanderlust to see the USA, covering trips through human nature and a myriad physical and emotional topography.
The final track on Looking For The Good Land is “Million Miles,” a tip of the hat to Neil Young, complete with a beautifully melancholy duet between banjo and piano.
The album’s first two lead singles, “I Wanna Love You” and “Days of Thunder” have over 100,000 streams on Spotify. And it must be nice to be actually talented Americana artists in these days where nobody knows anything about anything, music-wise. The guys’ talent and early success has brought them a deal with newly relaunched Cleveland International Records.
The collection was tracked at Cowboy Jack Clements’ studio, where the Cerny Brothers captured a high-energy sound — including Bob’s piano, Scott’s electric guitar, ear-pleasing harmonies, and the beat of a four-on-the-floor kick drum — in the same room that once housed country icons like Johnny Cash.
The Cerny Brothers release Looking For The Good Land on May 3.
Check out ‘American Whore’ by The Cerny Brothers: