2019’s Die Happy with another great album, Namesake. The album was conceived, written, and recorded during the 2020 pandemic quarantine with many of the new songs reflecting on the important things in life – family, legacy, friendship, memories, and love. In the liner notes for Namesake, novelist Nickolas Butler said that Them Coulee Boys’ music has “a reverence for place and people, and this album is the truest testament to that reverence the band has yet delivered.” Namesake was recorded at Hive in Eau Claire and was produced by Grammy Award winner Brian Joseph (Paul Simon, Sufjan Stevens, The Indigo Girls, Bon Iver). Album highlights include: the upbeat tribute to a friend who passed away last year, “Phil’s Song”; the acoustic guitar-vocal-banjo-mandolin-bass-drums toe-tapper title track; the Kinks-esque “Victoria”; the slow waltz “Canyon”; the confessional track by someone who longs for a slow dance partner on “Repurposed Frowns”; the John Prine-esque “Just Friends”; the catchy tune about Willie Mays’ 1954 World Series catch “Team All-American”; and the harmonica-driven baseball song “Knuckleballer.” Them Coulee Boys just keep getting better and better with each album and Namesake is their best one yet. If you’re not familiar with these guys you should definitely give them a listen. – Written by JFelton
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