Pennsylvania native by way of San Francisco singer/songwriter Eric Long follows-up 2018’s solo A Long Way from Home with a full-band country blues album on Looking Up. The album was recorded live at Prairie Sun Recording Studio to 24 track 2-inch tape with Grammy-winning engineer Oz Fritz (Tom Waits, John Hammond) and features a number of notable Bay Area musicians including David Pascoe (Late for the Train, One Grass Two Grass) on mandolin and fiddle, Thom Beneduci (The Neckbeard Boys) on upright bass, Rhyne Erde (The Highway Poets) on drums, Tom Relling (Hibbity Dibbity) on guitar, and Dave Zirbel (The Cowlicks) on pedal steel. Album highlights include: the catchy call and response opening track “Everyday”; the ode to the southern states on “Carolina”; the plucky ditty “No More”; the upbeat love ballad “Bluebird”; the whimsical love song “You Only Love Me When You’re High”; and the tender track “Come on Baby Dance with me.” Eric Long’s Looking Up is a great listen from an up-and-coming new talent. If you dig Taj Mahal, Charlie Parr, or Keb Mo, you will find elements of all these great artists in Long’s music. – Written by JFelton
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