Singer/songwriter Greg Loftus has been on a roll in the last few years of his career. In 2020, he cut The Soft Sound of Sundown to a warm reception from critics and fans alike, following up on a career of output that was more than ready for a compilation piece. Now in 2022, he’s emerging from his latest studio sessions with a new record in Western Medicine that’s stirring up much of the buzz he’s been enjoying in recent times – with a pinch of more attention from the mainstream. There are a lot of elements in this record reminiscent of old-school country-folk crossovers, but it’s anything but a throwback to the ‘70s as some have come to expect from his peers. Here, Loftus keeps the big beats coming at us alongside melodies worth their weight in gold, artistically looking ahead to the future more than he ever does the past.
The mix in “When My Day Comes” creates a wonderful juxtaposition of the vocal and the percussion, and in doing so, affords additional definition to the other components in the song that just wouldn’t have been present here otherwise. The bassline is tucked in between the ridges in the drumbeat and had it not been given a little extra oomph, I don’t know that we would be able to appreciate the texture it lends to the harmony. The reverb on the guitar is wet but not excessively dominant, and because of the conservative arrangement of the string parts in the song, there’s scarcely a moment where Loftus’ voice isn’t the most endearing feature in the track.
As expressive as the vocals are in “Hill Country Choir,” the harmony they form with the instrumentation is the bread and butter of the mood in this material. Greg Loftus has been careful about spreading himself too thin with his compositional style in the past, but in Western Medicine, I think he lets his hair down in a way that lets us appreciate his unguarded side more than we could have before. He’s got so much to share with his audience, and if we’re to take anything away from the maturation he’s demonstrated between The Soft Sound of Sundown and this new record, it’s that he’s not going to stop experimenting with the technique he’s got until he finds his perfect method for melody-making.
If this is just a sample of what the next chapter in the Greg Loftus story is going to look and sound like, Western Medicine and its two lovable songs are the start of a new age of excitement for this powerhouse of Americana. Unwilling to conform his craft to the mainstream establishment, Loftus cultivates a musicality that doesn’t ask a whole lot out of listeners in exchange for a wealth of sonic treasure in songs like this one. He’s setting a good example for young indie players just now starting out on their own road to stardom, but more importantly than that, he’s keeping the flame of anti-commercial singer/songwriters alive when we need it most. I’m a fan of his efforts, and I doubt I’m the only one.
BANDCAMP: https://gregloftus.bandcamp.com/track/when-my-day-comes
Chadwick Easton