To many listeners’ satisfaction, the Lost Dog Street Band released their long-awaited new album, Glory, on January 21st.
The ten-track album is reminiscent of where classic country meets bluegrass, a soul-stirring acoustic approach they have not quite done before. Glory conjures images and feels similar to that of a glowing bonfire under the starlight; comforting with hints of melancholy and contemplation.
The band is led by guitarist and vocalist Benjamin Tod, accompanied on piano, violin, and backup vocals by his life partner and fiddler Ashley Mae, along with bassist Jeff Loops.
At the ripe young age of seventeen, Tod and Mae decided to pursue their music career together, living off of $300 a month, hopping trains and performing on the street like true folk troubadours. And now, Lost Dog Street Band has accumulated over 170,000 monthly listeners on Spotify alone, and their music has been streamed millions of times over the years. And now, with the brutal honesty and heartfelt songwriting of Glory, the listeners and streams will continue to blossom.
The album is a personal testament to lead vocalist Tod’s recovery from his struggles with addiction, and eventually achieving his “glory” of being sober, as it brims with heartbreakingly honest lyrics and storytelling. Tod explains the album as, “a logical glimpse of climbing out of hell”.
The album chronologically explains the story of sobriety from start to finish, opening with smoky “Until I Recoup (Glory 1)”, where Tod’s vocals, similar to those of Tyler Childers, dig deep. The haunting number, “What Keeps Me Up Now”, is a harrowing track where Tod croons the lyrics, “I use the dope to escape where I couldn’t be found / And I burned through all petty cash and bank accounts”.
Interrupting the moodiness of the album is the evocative number, “End With You”, a romantic number about having a love and light throughout the darkness. “If you’ll still have this fool, I’m so damn glad I’ll end with you,” Tod sings.
The grip of addiction continues in the next two songs, “Hayden’s Lament” and “Losing Again”, where Tod’s storytelling continues to awaken emotions and pierce the heart of listeners.
The album ends on a victorious note in, “I Believe (Glory 2)”, where Tod triumphantly sings of his freedom from addiction. “I am free, my love, from all that did bind me / Left far behind me,” he sings, painting a picture of hope and redemption. At the end, he repeats the lyrics, “Glory awaits for you and I”.
And with this album, glory truly does await the Lost Dog Street Band.
