Sometimes the best way to move forward is to take a step back. Over the course of eleven tracks on his new album, Bones, Rick Colado demonstrates how to do just that. As someone who will be joining Mr. Colado in the 40 club very soon, I’ve deeply enjoyed discovering his music at just the right time for it to feel like a shared history despite our differences.

The opening track can be used as an effective tool when done right. Here, RickoLus sets the stage for the rest of the album on “Beach Town” by delivering a nostalgic tune that sets up the vibe of the album. In addition to singing about his own personal story, he weaves in recognizable sounds and words from touchstone works anyone in his age group would pick up on. Springsteen, Simon & Garfunkel, Steely Dan, and Don McLean are just a few of the influences you’ll hear on this track and throughout Bones.

Good times and bad get equal treatment as Colado honky tonks his way through his halcyon days and reflects on the somber. It’s all about the journey that life takes you on: meeting new people, building relationships, losing people in sometimes tragic ways, and learning how to move forward and find your own happiness. As the years go by, you find the things you thought you wanted or needed when you were a kid don’t matter as much. For RickoLus, and a lot of others, the goal is simply making art and expressing yourself.

Bones is released tomorrow, March 5th. A great choice because Bandcamp is once again waiving their fee! So, if you want to support RickoLus and pick up this new album, you will be able to do so here. You can also check out a livestream record release show tomorrow night on YouTube at 7pm EST/4pm PST.