Eric Anders and Mark O'Bitz - Sirens Go By

Sirens Go By is the second installment in a four-part Anders/O'Bitz collection referred to as "music in the time of coronavirus." Based in Northern California, Eric Anders, and Mark O'Bitz wrote and produced these songs during the pandemic months of 2020.

It's not surprising the duo names Nick Drake as an influence because guitarist O'Bitz especially brings Drake's distinctive acoustic guitar style to mind during "Twilights Last Gleaming." Lyrically, Anders' falsetto vocal suggests this is a song that protests modern day America. The album's title track is a slow, mournful tune (worthy of a pandemic-era recording), which sounds like a vintage Neil Young ballad.

This is not an album that will likely energize you. Instead, it's much more reflective of the circumstances that gave it birth. It amounts to eight examples of quality bedroom music. And if this pandemic has at least given us some quality music, well, that's one of the bright spots. This is an especially good thing because bright spots can many times be so hard to come by.

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