W.S. Walcott Medicine Show

07. American Recordings – Truman Sinclair (R & R Digital)

I first came to know the name Truman Sinclair when I saw his name listed as a performer at the 2025 Green River Festival.  After making some inquiries about said festival and any obscure names I should not miss, Truman Sinclair was mentioned as a can’t miss act by a friend down in TN.  Upon listening to the opening finger picking strum of “Chicago Flood”, I assumed Truman was from somewhere down south.  The sound and feel was pure back woods and down home.  Surprisingly, as I did further research into Sinclair’s background I discovered that he hails originally from Chicago and currently lives in Los Angeles and actually comes from an emo background, having played in bands since his early teens.  American Recordings is an album filled from start to finish with beautiful story songs that sound like they could have been handed down from generations past instead having been written by some young 23 year old.  The third song on the LP, “What’s On Your Mind” picks the pace up from the sleepy back porch sounds of the first 2 songs with a more upbeat nod to the country rock that permeated LA during the mid to late 70’s. The next tune, “Bloodline”, follows with a classic Neil Young harmonica riff straight out of “Heart Of Gold” but instead of sounding derivative, fits nicely with Truman’s tale of modern technology and the lightning-like speed which we find ourselves moving through life.  The highlight of the album for me, and from what I gather, many others is the album’s best known song (thank you Tik-tok) “Joel Roberts”, a modern day tale of loyalty and retribution.  At the Green RIver Festival, Sinclair actually introduced the song by saying that If it weren’t for it and the internet, he probably wouldn’t even be there performing.  Anyway, to make a long story short, American Recordings is just about as perfect a title for an album as there could be.  The LP is filled with wonderful yarns and blissful musical interludes that’ll bring you to that peaceful tranquil pace far from the distractions and troubles of everyday life.