What starts as a spark can quickly grow into wildfire – this is certainly true for the rock and soul artist TRIPI, whose intimate new album progressed from a single song to the collaborative effort of more than twenty acclaimed musicians.
Its title, Close to Fire: Roman’s Anthology Release Part I, honors both a formative burn-incident and the recent loss of his young grandson. On an endless search for how the world works, TRIPI began the project as a way to process profound grief through the creation of original work and interpreting material from artists like Stevie Ray Vaughn and Alabama. Close to Fire is an honest and deeply personal invitation to consider remembrance and resilience.
“Charlie’s Song,” the lead single released in June and album opener, was inspired by two mothers’ discussion about the importance of saying the names of their lost loved ones – in this case, a young boy called Charlie. The repeated refrain that “he was almost three,” delivered with a crying vocal tone, highlights the tragedy nestled into a hammering piano and a driving percussive rhythm. A particularly emotional section towards the end features the listing of eight names over a simplified instrumental.
Inspired by Alabama’s 1985 country hit “Can’t Keep A Good Man Down,” track two offers a two-word addition to the title and a touch more soul influence. “Can’t Keep A Good Man Down For Long” is a masterclass in efficient songwriting, concise allusions to identifiable doom (the Valley of Death, the Badlands) acting as a counterweight to the undeniable hope here. Recorded at a slower, steadier pace, this song promises that recovery is always possible: “you can make a good man fall / but you can’t keep him down for long.”
Track seven covers “Life Without You,” originally an ode by Stevie Ray Vaughn to his late friend and guitar technician, Charley Whirz. It showcases musician Jack Daley on the lead vocal, backed by high-end keys and a darker, fuzzier guitar part. Rather than a slow burn to the end, this gritty homage holds onto the extended solo’s wavering vibrato for as long as it can.
“I Don’t Mind,” the eighth track, first appears as a bit of a sudden genre departure into a Phil Collins-esque piano ballad. Quickly, it proves itself to be made of the same fragile, introspective elements that makes this album shine, exploring the way that a single loss can reshape the entire world. This song ebbs and flows delicately, guided by TRIPI’s contrastingly gruff delivery and well-placed acoustic tremolos throughout the arrangement.
Close To Fire is a triumphant testimony that the sacred heart of life can be discovered through the music which helps us turn towards what we might otherwise avoid and find community in our acceptance of it. To celebrate the album’s release, TRIPI will perform at New York City’s The Cutting Room on October 30th, a benefit concert fundraising for scholarships to help healthcare providers who support grieving families.
Featured photo by Shervin Lainez
