Local Album Review // Josh Travis // Few of Days & Full of Trouble

Self-released

4.5/5 stars

A pitch-perfect alt-country record, Josh Travis' debut full-length album, Few of Days & Full of Trouble is magnificent. The full-band follow up to Travis' 2017 Landlocked EP captures the evolution of a gifted songwriter. Now accompanied by Sam Krahe on electric guitar, Dan Cephas on drums, and Kasi Borden on bass, the quartet have found a beautiful synchronicity over the past few years, and this album encapsulates it perfectly. Recorded by Al Torrence at Pittsburgh's Music Garden Studios and mastered by Garrett Haines at Treelady Studios, the sound is just what you want from this burgeoning genre. Fit for fans of Tyler Childers and Sturgill Simpson, Travis and company find themselves virtually on the same level as some of modern country's most critically acclaimed heavy hitters. Starting off with the midtempo shuffle of "Secondhand Smoke," Travis blends his personal lyricism with ear-friendly hooks, each of Krahe's guitar touches landing with expert accuracy. They move on to the bluesy number "The Only Good In Me," followed by the ruminating balladry of "Old Beat Up Paint." One of the highlights of the album's ten tracks is certainly "Change of Heart," a poignant love song underscored by vocals by his wife, Rachel.