Brian Fallon by Kelsey Hunter Ayres
Moments of clarity come and go. For former Gaslight Anthem frontman Brian Fallon, it would be the nightly musical undressing of his soul on an acoustic tour that would bring him the clarity he needed to create his third solo album.
The New Jersey native’s natural storytelling talents were surely amplified in the decade he rocked out with the Gaslight Anthem, but his band hiatus since 2015 has also been time well-spent. With two well-received albums under his belt, the upcoming third, “Local Honey” – due out later this month – shows a level of maturity and openness brought on by letting go.
“Every single song is about right now,” Fallon said in a statement. “There’s nothing on this record that has to do with the past or even the future, it just has to do with the moments that are presented and things that I’ve learned and I’m finding in my day to day.”
The genesis of “Local Honey” was a guitar and piano tour with The Hold Steady’s Craig Finn. The epiphany was a simple one, and the heartfelt acoustic songs Fallon performed on the road were later arranged for recording with multiple instruments. At eight songs, “Local Honey” is short, but the songs are fully fleshed out.
At 40, Fallon has enough road travelled to be experienced but is young enough to exude hope without gimmick. Love, mental health and the quotidian take the spotlight in songs like “You Have Stolen My Heart” and “21 Days,” the latter directly connected to him acting on his therapist’s instructions to disconnect bad habits.
Fallon and his backing band, Howling Weather, will support the album with an extensive North American and European tour.
“This record is 100 percent about the day today. It’s not about these glorious dreams or miserable failures, it’s just about life and how I see it,” Fallon said. Also, of note: Consuming a locally sourced honey is a healthy and natural way of gaining clarity in a seasonal fog… and that’s a pro tip you should act on.
Brian Fallon performs an all ages show 6:30 pm Wednesday March 18 at Revolution Live in Fort Lauderdale with Justin Townes Earle and Worriers. jointherevolution.net ~ Abel Folgar
