Life is the theme of Emerson Hart's new album, named for the number of days one might expect to be on this earth. That's how many opportunities we have to live, learn, and put it all to good use. It's a weighty theme for an album, but given how long Emerson has been in the business of making music, it's fitting. Tonic broke out over twenty years ago, and life has changed immensely even since the last album they put out nearly ten years ago now, which are catalogued in his solo outings. "Beauty In Disrepair" was the segue to this new phase of life, and we now move further in the direction of being experienced enough to embrace who and where we are.
Part of telling an introspective story is finding the right tone, which Emerson does by building the album around his acoustic guitar. That instrument has always been a key part of his sound (the blending of acoustics and electrics are a hallmark of Tonic's sound), but when you hear it lead the way you can also hear how it is vital to the creation of these songs. That instrument has a natural, echoing charm to it that mirrors the reflective theme of the record in a way that a more electric backdrop wouldn't be able to. A true songwriter is able to mold his creations to enhance the message, and that is done well here.
Through his entire career, Emerson has had an innate ability to write simple melodies that are evocative and memorable, even when you may not think they made that kind of impact. Songs like "Lucky One" and "She Makes It Rain" don't make you gape in awe the first time you listen to them, but then you realize you can recall more details of them than you thought, much as some of our fondest memories come from moments in time we didn't think were important when they happened. Art, like life, is funny like that.
Art is also intensely personal, and dependent on our perspective. Will someone in their mid 30s with no family of his own be able to relate the same way to these songs as a 50 year-old father trying to build a better future for his daughter? Of course not, and that's one of the wonderful things about art. "If You Could Only See" is what sparked me to become a musician, and it did so because I interpreted the song in a way that fit my needs, even if it wasn't the intention. It became more fitting later on, which deepened the relationship I have with it. I say that to point out that even if we aren't looking at things from the same angle, it doesn't mean the image is any less beautiful.
This record didn't need a "Casual Affair", or an "I Know". This album is what it needs to be, and for that purpose it is exquisitely crafted. Right out of the gate, this is a collection of songs that feel lived in, worn around the edges like a favorite old blanket. If life imitates art, or the other way around, we hear it in music such as these songs.
"32 Thousand Days" is as much a whole as it is a collection of songs, a fact that is another strength. Telling this story of life couldn't be done in a more kaleidoscopic sense. Having obvious singles would have diluted the point. That this album is best experienced as an album reinforces the theme, and reminds us each time that each song brings something important to the table. The story would be incomplete without all of them, as would our experience.
For the third time, Emerson Hart has made a solo album that delivers us something different, and something different than what he made his name on. I appreciate songwriters who challenge themselves to explore every side of their personalities, and the great ones are able to do that without ever failing. I may not be at the point in my life where this kind of reflection strikes a chord in me, but I can feel what it means to Emerson, because of the quality of these songs. Emerson Hart taught me to be a musician, and he had never failed me. He still hasn't.
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