Secrets, Hope & Waiting

“Secrets, Hope & Waiting” Riley Etheridge Jr.
NYC-based singer-songwriter’s fifth studio album. This 10-song collection ranges from traditional folk-rock to something close to Americana. Riley searched the country until he found a unique recording studio in a refurbished church originally built in 1910 in New Orleans. Recordings were created with all musicians present and playing face-to-face to take advantage of the rich natural room sound. The feeling throughout is intimate, unrehearsed and largely acoustic — with only the simplest of drumming.
— Francis

Recommended: 1, 3, 2, 7, 8, 4. No FCCs detected.

1. (3:50) Like a Fool – Deliberate, intimate storytelling folk. Piano. Acoustic bass. Spare drumming sets the beat. ****
2. (3:09) Save Me from Myself – Lighter, more uplifting. Fingerpicked and strummed guitar. ***
3. (4:31) Everything You Wanted – Wistful and sad, shimmering and soft. Rich harmonies on the lead vocals. Piano and guitar carry the melody. ****
4. (5:22) The Moment’s Gone – Laid back and easy, with melodic piano and expressive, earnest vocals. **
5. (3:25) Do You Remember? – Slightly bouncier and brighter — something of an Americana feel. Counterpoint between piano and mandolin, with violin in the lead break.
6. (4:19) Life Unrehearsed — Almost a throwback feeling to the strong backbeat. Old timey stop ‘n’ go rhythm with slightly bluesy piano.
7. (3:50) Hope and Waiting – Dreamier. Harmonized lead vocals with more female balance than in the other songs. Simple strummed guitar with fingerpicked mandolin. ***
8. (3:45) Hush – Simple and sparse. Lead vocals shift between regular register and falsetto. Acoustic and pretty. ***
9. (3:22) Save Me from Myself (Solo) – Solo version of Track 2. Just Etheridge and his fingerpicked guitar. **
10. (5:33) Like a Fool (Reprise) – INSTRUMENTAL—Beautiful, delicate piano instrumental of Track 1. Like a Windham Hill arrangement.