Nick Gusman and the Coyotes chronical modern country in new album, Lifting Heavy Things.

By Graeme Smith

An American alt-country band from St. Louis, Missouri featuring Nick Gusman on guitar and vocals, Sean Kamery on fiddle, Justin Haltmar on bass, Tony Hall on keys, Garrett Rongey on guitar, and Jeremy Reidy on drums, Nick Gusman and The Coyotes are debuting on our blog thanks to their new album, Lifting Heavy Things.

The album feels like a modern day chronicle, combining 3AM conversations with dystopian fever dreams and unexpected encounters. It’s all told through a fully live recording, giving us a glimpse of the band’s stage presence on record.

Tokyo Hotel gets things started in a gentle and reflective way. A slow-building instrumental gradually introduces us to each instrument before Nick’s soulful vocal comes in. We are at once gripped by the lyrics, which recount a true story based in the titular establishment in Chicago. Heart-breaking harmonies seal the deal in the chorus.

From there we get a nicely varied journey with lively, anthemic moments like Sound Of A Broken Heart and Trucker contrasted by bluesy philosophy in the form of Shortcut The Mountain and Stray Dog, and quiet introspection in Magic 8 Ball. Title track Lifting Heavy Things is a jaunty highlight, telling the story of an encounter with a homeless man and learning to appreciate simple joys. American Dream has a killer melody and strong sense of atmosphere. We Got A Job To Do closes the album vibrantly with a punchy tempo and plenty of guitar noodling.

It’s the song writing that really stood out for me in this album. It’s reminiscent of a post-Bright Eyes Conor Oberst in its way of weaving tales of America’s underbelly yet there’s a distinctiveness about what Nick Gusman and the Coyotes are doing that means they stand alone.

Lifting Heavy Things was recorded live at Native Sound Recordings in St. Louis, was engineered by David Beeman and mastered by Brad Sarno from Blue Jade Audio. It’s out now and you can give it a listen below.

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