Made By These Moments＜限定盤/White Clear Vinyl＞

The Red Clay Strays built their audience the old-fashioned way: with relentless touring, taking advantage of the moment when their single "Wondering Why" went viral long after its initial 2022 release. With the wind at their backs, they leapt from independents and into the major leagues, signing with RCA Records and cutting Made by These Moments with Dave Cobb, the gold-standard producer in American roots music. Made by These Moments does feel like a step forward for the Alabama band. Its bigger, bolder, and louder, a shift thats apparent from the moment "Disaster" and "Wasting Time" kick off the record with waves of burly guitar, a sound thats much earthier than their 2022 debut Moment of Truth. Much of the album follows suit, with the plaintive ballad "Wanna Be Loved" underpinned by the same muscular guitars that propel the boogie of "Ramblin." If the Red Clay Strays sound brawnier here, so does lead singer Brandon Coleman, who sings from the gut in a fashion that often recalls Chris Stapleton. Things shift a bit toward the end with the stomping neo-gospel of "On My Knees," a bit of testifying that recalls the bluster of Nathaniel Rateliff & the Night Sweats more than a Sunday service. The rest of Made by These Moments hums along to a neo-soul vibe that places the Red Clay Strays in Rateliffs wheelhouse, an expansion that doesnt necessarily seem like an evolution even if it broadens the bands appeal. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine