When the open road meets a poet’s bustling internal world, ordinary moments begin to unfold along the path to meaning.
Indie folk-pop artist Phil Pickens takes the listener along this expansive journey, and has done so throughout his nearly decade-long career. The Georgia-born singer-songwriter, now based in New York City, is a storyteller rooted in the magical effect of place – even if lived in for only a moment, some simply stay with us forever. His evocative lyricism and Americana textures facilitate discussions on faith, memory, and the necessary progression through uncertain times.
A recent reunion with James Frazee, the Grammy-Award winning producer of his debut album Cathedrals, prompted the creation of his upcoming record, Caution to the Wind.
Its intimate, conversational tonality is a perfect representation of how it began – the passing of a guitar between Pickens and Frazee over a summer dinner. Drummer Max Maples, bassist James Preston, and a variety of talented friends helped to add layers to their thoughtful arrangements, raw and in ultimate service of the lyric.
Together, they create a series of transportive songs which reflect on time’s passing while celebrating the chance to return to them musically. Singles off the two-part album’s first side have been dropping gradually since April, with Caution to the Wind due in entirety sometime in 2027.
Released today November 13th, “Grandad’s Wine” marks the fifth and final track from Side A.
This is a sweet, swaying ode to the summers Pickens spent with his grandparents in the Blue Ridge Mountains, chronicling the couple’s devotion to each other and their grandkids. Shuffling percussion and a repeating guitar riff open the mid-tempo song, quickly joined by a gentle brass section that fills the spaces within the arrangement perfectly.
It builds into a rich bridge and subsequent choral iteration that expands on the grief of a husband left behind: “just hurts like hell and that’s a simple fact / he’s been sitting on the edge for his love to come back,” he sings. Here, he paints the most powerful image of the track, as he describes a homecoming that not only restores his grandparents’ love, but their youth, as well.
“Grandad’s Wine” offers a soulful reflection that sets aside personal grief in a manner that self-soothes, by considering the joy that death might offer our loved ones in the afterlife.
The masterful poetry of Caution to the Wind’s first side promises an equally as touching second part to look forward to in the new year.
Featured photo by Ryan M. Hall
