It’s been a little while since I checked out what Jared Rabin was up to. Last time I saw him he was playing with a band called Falldown that makes pretty great alt-country tunes around Chicago. Back in September he self-produced his first solo record, Something Left To Say. I’m a bit late to the party, but it’s a good listen.

Style-wise he stays true to his alt-country roots, but opens it up to more pure rock n roll here and there. As a whole the album reminds me a lot of the mid-2000’s Ryan Adams records (most specifically 29). It’s often melancholy, but that only makes some of the soaring guitar work that much more fun. 

On “Old Man In The Rain” Rabin’s voice leads you into a false sense of hibernation before his guitar blasts off like Clapton in the middle of a Domino’s track. Rabin layers some harmonies to add some depth and pulls off kind of a Jayhawks effect. It’s a nice little pillow for your ears until that solo rattles the doors and windows and jolts you out of your slumber.

The skills Rabin possesses as an instrumentalist show themselves again and again on Something Left To Say. He seems to have a knack for anything with strings (including violin), but guitar gets most of the focus. Whether it’s a twangy country number or a rollicking rock lick, he has a firm control over tone that provides just the right sound.

You can check out the record over on Bandcamp before you decide to buy it. You can also catch Jared on the road along the east coast starting January 10th in Burlington, Vermont. More dates below:

1/8 The Store in Chicago

1/10 Radio Bean in Burlington, VT

1/11 The Spot Underground in Providence, RI

1/12 Bourbon And Branch in Philadelphia

1/14 The Bitter End in NYC

1/15 Sully’s Pub in Hartford, CT

1/17 Plough & Stars in Boston