Son

Southern Fried Rock

Son by Will Overman Band

Recommended by Uncle Robert

"The balance of music and Will's mesmerizing voice is very peaceful. This song, if you listen to the lyrics, would seem to be dark, but you just can't help but smile and tap your toe. This band is tearing up NC and VA. You need to get them to UGA."

I hope they do come down to visit us sometime. I feel like this vibe would jive with Athens.

Okay, so Will Overman, guitarist and lead vocalist, is super young - like 22 years old - and is still studying sociology at the University of Virginia. I don't say that to make you more impressed (if you've got It, you've got It, no matter how old you are), but it adds context (x).

He only got through two levels of NBC's The Voice, but the end of his run on the show was obviously not the end of his career.

Son is a standout from the album, and it was released as a single. The track features Sam Wilson on pedal steel, which you can hear underlying most of the song, and Brittney Wagner on the vocal line. Wagner, who also plays guitar in the band, harmonizes beautifully with Overman in what he calls "a natural mix" (x).

I read that Overman wrote this song about his relationship with his father. The two share a close bond, and they go out camping and hiking whenever they can (x).

It's funny to hear that Son is literally about Overman being his father's son, because I definitely heard religious undertones at first. I'm sure it's meant to be taken in more than one way.

I'm getting tired of driving, so I'll step aside and let you take the wheel.

There's no way that's not a reference Jesus, Take the Wheel, right? Plus, I thought maybe the title was referring to Jesus, the son of God.

They've all gone and left me here with you.

As my uncle mentioned, the lyrics are a little sad, but they're also uplifting, in a way. He spends a good deal of the song talking about his friends going off and leaving him alone on a lonesome train, but it's not too awful. The loneliness means there's no one to hold me back from my life.

I mean, it's still sad, but he's looking on the bright side.

He also poses the question Is life not a song? and the song can be more positive or more negative depending on how you decide to answer.

In any case, I agree with my uncle that the music belies the questionable and dark themes of the lyrics.

The mellow, ambling guitar, Overman's warm voice and charming accent, and a comforting bass line sound familiar and comforting. The whole thing sounds somewhere between a lonely walk on the train tracks and a late afternoon on the beach with your friends - in either case, there's a sunset involved.

Overview:

Genre:
Amped-up folk rock

Favorite Lyrics:
There's no one to hold me
back from my life.

Verdict:
deceptively warm sound