Georgia-based singer/songwriter Kurt Lee Wheeler has been making music since the dawn of the ’90s, and while his music delves into bluegrass and other forms of acoustic country, it’s his exuberant melodies and effusive expressive tones that offer themes for immediate engagement. His talent seems to come by way of his own efforts and initiative; he taught himself to play guitar and soon began recording his own songs on reel to reel, then cassettes, and eventually to a four track-tape machine. In the mid ’80s, he enlisted in the Air Force and while there, he enlisted some other airmen and formed an alternative outfit dubbed Hint of Insurgence.
Later, Wheeler began teaching school before eventually taking a hiatus from making music in order to focus on raising a family. Nevertheless, by mid 2010, he began venturing out within his native North Georgia and rebooted his musical interests by writing new songs songs.
His new album, Lathemtown — named for his hometown and also the handle for his band — offers another example of his instantly engaging approach. He shares his songs from a personal perspective, evoking emotions that have emerged from life experience. It’s little wonder then that mood and melody take on an equal emphasis here. The ebullience and enthusiasm found in Faces, the album opener, soon gives way to the quiet contemplation that echoes through Hesitant Father, Cactus Flower, Wicked Game, and Too Much Time.
This new collection features a blend of original songs, reworked classics and covers, including the Foo Fighters’ Times Like These and Chris Isaak’s Wicked Game.
Times like These seems hopeful at first, but it’s also weighed down by the and consistent uncertainties that linger within today’s modern malaise. The banjo-based sound of Portland, the rambling narrative Bus Depot, the tellingly-titled Can’t Fool Fate, the sweet and serendipitous Girl From California, and the thoughtful reflection found in First Choice, all testify to Wheeler’s penchant for sharing the Everyman experience as expressed through both desire and despair.
In that regard, these songs are consistently affecting. It’s hardly surprising then that the driving delivery of Cherokee County found it unanimously voted that county’s official song.
Given the heartland happenstance, the music finds its fit courtesy of a sound that’s best expressed through traditional trappings. Wheeler assembled an exceptional bluegrass ensemble to record these songs, one that includes producer Jeff Partin on dobro, bass, and backing vocals, Aarron Ramsey on banjo and mandolin, Jake Stargill on guitar, and John Rice on fiddle.
Immensely affecting, Lathemtown is best characterized as a place that offers a welcome respite to anyone needing a reliable retreat.
