Jeremy R.R. is a songwriter hailing from Flint, Michigan, USA and now based in Vienna, Austria. It was a trip back home to see his parents that inspired his latest album.
By Graeme Smith
Go home & apologize is a deeply personal collection for him, touching on his experience of working through depression with therapy, finding his way to sleep and to dreams, and reflecting on the world in which he grew up.
It opens with a song in my dream and we instantly know we’re in for something a unique with Jeremy’s music. A raw acoustic instrumental accompanies characterful vocals that are full of a pleading melancholy. They have a similar distinctiveness as one of my musical heroes, Conor Oberst, and Jeremy has a similar ability to tell a story with his lyrics. Fans of Bright Eyes or Elliott Smith are going to find a lot to love about his music.
Another song for old friends livens things up with a rocky number rich with a captivating ambience. Pushed/walked is reluctantly revealing, revelling in its lo-fi sentiments. Lightbulb, virgin, dodge rounds off the album’s early running with a country-esque spoken word moment.
From there we get a collection that never lets up with the emotion. Confessional stories don’t swerve away from the visceral details as musically things vary from folk to country to rock and back again. Quiet and introspective moments like reruns and could’ve been are nicely contrasted by more orchestrated ones like i-75, 7am (Louise) and old one. What won’t men do? bristles with subtle electronica while a song for right before it’s over closes things with vivid vignette.
The catharsis in go home & apologize is palpable. If you’re going through a tough time, or remember having gone through one in the past, you’re going to get a lot out of Jeremy’s collection. The authentic emotion of it all gives it power, and he delivers it in a way that only he can.
Go home & apologize is out now and you can check it out below.