Andy Jobe (vocals, guitar) and Neeley Bridges (vocals, mandolin) of Walking for Pennies have just released their debut, “Forget about Wonderland” and it fraggin’ rocks! I’ve been blessed to hear a lot of great tracks lately, but here I am at midnight penning a review on a record – when I have to be up at five-thirty for a 12 hour day – because it’s that darn good!

Andy and Neeley met in school in New York, briefly and again later when he was acting and she was working the chorus lines. Disenchanted with their lot, they turned to their instruments for solace and release. The duo took their name from the experience of walking dogs for “pennies” to pay the rent. They draw upon years of study, and practice to bring a majesty to the music that describes the longing of being an artist, the pains of just getting by and the joys of doing what one loves – no matter what.

Autobiographical songs with with just the right amount of that New York funk and Southern smoothness have me literally hanging on every word. As songwriters, Andy and Neeley display talent that rivals many of my favorites, from Prine to Hyatt,  James Taylor to Jack Johson.

From simple acoustic guitars with a bit of Dave Matthews pop and flowing mandolin lines, to the brass – yes, real brass  – to creamy electrics and strings, the sounds of this record are great. Expertly crafted tones blend perfectly to make a record that is a pleasure to listen to, as a matter of fact, I think I’ll do that right now. I really want to hear the ballad “Black Pickett Fences” again.

You’ll hear the craftsmanship in the music of the first song and the Nashville influence on the opener “I know Better,” a great up-beat song about everyone’s favorite subject. “This One’s For Me” is a song everyone can relate to and showcases Keeley’s talent for beautiful vocal harmonies.

I live just South of Nashville. At the moment I’m in a motel room in West Virginia, thinking about moving back to my birth state, and Keely sings “I’m gonna move to Nashville in the springtime,” how very serendipitous! Yeah, maybe I’ll just move on into Nashville with them.

Every one of the tunes on “Forget About Wonderland” is worth twice the price of admission to this storytime showcase. If you are one of those people that doesn’t buy whole records, just buy all the tracks individually and forget about the fact that they were an album (even if they are obviously meant to fit together) you’ll be glad to have these. I know I am!

I’m off to bed, now with visions of dropping my hammers and saws, and picking up my guitar.

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