Drew Holcomb & the Neighbors have been building their audience gradually for almost a decade, and it’s likely you’ve already heard the band’s music. Songs have been placed on shows like “Army Wives” and “United States of Tara,” and heard in ads for the series finale of “House, M.D.” The group has toured with Ryan Adams, Susan Tedeschi, Los Lobos and The Avett Brothers, featured in a Paste sampler and its last two studio releases have debuted on Billboard’s Top 200. “Slow-and-steady wins the race” has been the mantra as Drew Holcomb & the Neighbors works its way up.
Good Light, released in February, debuted at #84 on Billboard’s Top 200 chart and includes the popular single, “Tennessee.” The album is drenched in southern sensibility with its easygoing rock and roll sound, and the authenticity the band infuses into their songs is sweet and beautiful. “Tennessee” is a classic, civic-minded mid-tempo number about love for the state, and the piano-led shuffler “Can’t Take it With You,” is a thoughtful examination of values. Drew’s wife Ellie’s sweet-as-honey vocals mix well with his dusty and raspy pipes throughout, particularly on the lighthearted “Nothing But Trouble” where you can practically hear them smiling as they sing together.
This music strikes a chord because of its honest simplicity. The lyrics ring true whether talking about relationships (“I Love You, I Do”) or asking you to consider life from different perspectives (“Another Man’s Shoes”), and emphatic tracks like “A Place to Lay My Head” prove that this band never goes an autopilot.
Drew Holcomb & the Neighbors opens for the rock band NEEDTOBREATHE as part of the Drive All Night Tour 2013.
Thursday 5/9 $25, 7pm. nTelos Wireless Pavilion, Downtown Mall. 800-CPAV-TIX.