Charleston, WV-based artist Jonathan Calhoun returns with Lifetime on I-79, a fifth album that blends personable folk songwriting with road-worn reflection. Recorded in his home studio, the songs center on acoustic guitar and unguarded vocals, tracing personal memories and societal observations alike. Drawing on influences from Springsteen to Petty while forging his own path, Calhoun crafts a collection that feels timeless, heartfelt, and unmistakably rooted in West Virginia.
The album’s title track is especially indicative of Calhoun’s quality songwriting, which echoes a no-frills folk prowess amidst heart-on-sleeve lyrical dispositions, reminding fondly of Magnetic Fields in that regard. “I was looking for adventure, and a partner for the ride,” the vocals exude on the title track. “So began an endless journey on I-79.” The palpable sense of soul-searching and its context on the roads of I-79 is apt, with the “lonesome highway” comparisons delivered poignantly. Ensuing track “2 Much 2 Love” unveils a smitten feeling in its “across the room” recollections, punctuated by twangy guitar work representative of Calhoun’s hazy rock abilities as well.
A twangy rock-forward charm also shows on “Sunnyside Blues,” where vivid lyrical reminiscing of college days pairs with bluesy guitar work and “as the sun goes down” party-starting excitement is depicted. Elsewhere, “People are the Problem” plays like a lecture on society’s me-first mentality and the “means of control” forces that influence it all. Lifetime on I-79 consistently enamors in its memorable songwriting, navigating folk and rock cohesion within poignant thematic sentiments.
