In most cases, a four-year silence after a debut release is a very bad sign. This is particularly true in Nashville, where new faces come and go at an alarming rate. But it was a pleasant surprise when Great Plains resurfaced in the record racks recently with their second offering, Homeland.
The band’s sound, influenced by the Southern California country-rock scene of the early ’70s, features sweet, tight harmonies and outstanding musicianship. But the defining element is the songwriting. Lead singer and songwriter Jack Sundrud possesses an uncanny ability to capture life’s trials and tribulations in his lyrics. When you listen to Sundrud sing of rekindling lost love (“Where’s The Fire”), traveling to a funeral (“Nothin’ I Can Do About The Rain”), or protecting the family farm (“Homeland”), you believe he’s lived it all. Denny Dadmun-Bixby, longtime Great Plains bassist and one of Nashville’s most highly regarded players, adds seamless harmonies and melodic bass lines. And the guitar, fiddle and mandolin playing of the band’s newest member, Lex Browning, have added a rootsy dimension to the songs that was absent on the first album.
If you ever find yourself feeling like a band is learning its craft on your time and your nickel, Great Plains will be a pleasant change of pace. “Homeland” is a fine collection of songs about life in rural America and well worth a listen.