As his new record, Country Shade, opens, John Baumann laments what at first seems to be the lack of authentic country music on the radio, singing on “The Country Doesn’t Sound the Same,” “Songs for the working class, and those looking […]

Country music is a compass to American life. Even if you’re not especially drawn to the music as a fan, it still often resides in your ethos from the strong memories the sounds of it evoke like the smells in your grandmother’s kitchen. 

In his new song, the contemplative and forlorn “The Country Doesn’t Sound the Same,” John Baumann laments the direction that the world is moving in and how he feels a darkness settling.  For Baumann and the overall state of being, there’s not much to look forward to… the world is crumbling and there’s not much to save it. 

Singer/songwriter John Baumann's thoughtful “Next Ride Around the Sun,” premiering below, advises the listener to live life with kindness and gratitude since “there’s nothing that you can take with you when your time is done.” After the surprisingly delightful Mellotron opening, “Next Ride Around the Sun” takes on a tone similar to the Lori McKenna-penned “Humble & Kind” both melodically and thematically. The tune takes on added significance as the COVID-19 pandemic has so many of us sheltered in place, waiting for our lives to resume.