Throughout the dance of existence, music has always served as a way to share our stories— a universal language, a force that bleeds through the barriers between our collective human experience. Sometimes music is the singular path to express what words alone cannot, and this rings especially true for folk singer-songwriter Grant Glad.
Using music as a storytelling instrument, Glad released his new album, One Man’s Story, on New Year’s Day. The concept album creatively pieces together a narrative of an everyday Midwestern man’s life across eight uniquely soulful tracks. Glad’s chronicles thoughtfully unfold through the lens of a single character, who symbolizes a fusion of men from his Minnesota roots.
Tackling the album with the mindset of a novelist, Glad drew strong inspiration from the style and essence of John Steinbeck and spent three years bringing to life a detailed reflection on growth and change. One Man’s Story delicately measures the meaning in life’s fleeting yet precious instances, evoking a warm nostalgia for simpler times amidst the grim, unwavering currents of age and change.
The album opens with gentle, soothing melodies, tender guitar strums, and wistful string additions in “Gunpowder at Dawn,” a song that earnestly captures the experiences and perspectives of an innocent boy. Lyrically driven by introspection and wisdom, Glad sings, “Just a kid learning the right ways to sin,” introducing a soul-stirring coming of age theme that delicately sets the tone for the rest of the tracks.
A refreshing contrast from the soft and balmy acoustic starts of the album’s other tracks, “At Ease” somewhat jarringly opens with a drill call that slowly weaves into the song’s rhythm. In pursuit of honesty and authenticity, Glad sought to narrate a military experience while skillfully steering clear of common associated pitfalls, like over-sentimentality or political protest.
Another stand-out track from the album is “The Night Before Thanksgiving,” a raw spoken word account of being stuck in your hometown bar on the night before Thanksgiving in your 30’s. The song’s deep soundscapes, preciously subtle yet hauntingly beautiful, provide an emotional backdrop for Glad’s unromanticized take on the reality of the passage of time and the lenses we switch in and out of as we grow older.
The last track of the album, “Dancing at the Vfw,” ties each song together with a wholesome ode to long lasting love and the inevitability of elderly years settling in, ultimately marking the fatal end of a life spent hand in hand with your partner. This single is the original spark of the entire project’s inspiration, the foundation of the complex character explored through the rest of the tracks.
One Man’s Story showcases how little moments and details are what ultimately create the shape our lives take on. Leaning on anecdotes from himself and those around him, Glad created something both organic and touching that feels truly real.
