The road that leads to the release of the debut album from The One Eighties is one full of overcoming adversities. Let me give you a little bit of the backstory of the band. The band is comprised of Autumn Brand (vocals, strings, production) and Daniel Cook (background vocals, keys, guitars, synths, percussion, drum sequencing, production, mixing). They were in a band, pre-Covid called New Reveille whose debut album was creating quite a buzz with praise from all corners of the music industry including MTV, CMT and Rolling Stone. Then, their label folded, Covid hit and members went their separate ways. Brand and Cook were left scratching their heads wondering what to do next. It would involve music, but they weren’t quite sure what to do. So, they disappeared and took off on an adventure. They did, as their name says, a “one eighty” and started creating.
They wrote lots of songs, but who was going to sing them? Brand had done some back-up singing in New Reveille, but she wasn’t sure if she was to stay in the backseat singing or move up front behind the wheel. She gained a bit of confidence and both artists quickly discovered that she was born to sing these songs. The duo kept creating and began to put together the debut album known as Minefields. The genre blending duo worked with a team of well-seasoned people including award winning drummer Fred Eltringham (Sheryl Crow, Amanda Shires, Carrie Underwood) and bassist Mark Hill (Morgan Wallen, Luke Bryan, Kelly Clarkson) among others. The album was mastered by Grammy Award winners Greg Calbi and Steve Fallone (Kacey Musgraves, The National, Father John Misty).
First off, I have no idea how they narrowed it into the final ten that appear on this album. The ten that they have assembled here are a thing of beauty. I’m sure a lot of you probably have a favorite sweatshirt or hoodie that you love to put on because of the warm, comfortable feeling that you get from it. I get that same kind of feeling from this album. That may be a weird analogy of sorts, but we all have favorite albums that we love to play because of how they make us feel. Think about it; I’m sure you do. For someone who questioned her vocal abilities, Brand has tapped into an underused talent of hers. She’s able to connect to the emotional impact of the lyrics to make the listener feel what she’s singing about. Several videos have been released so I am sure that some of you have heard a taste of what this album is all about. The beautiful thing is that The One Eighties refuse to be confined to a musical box and I absolutely love that.
There are so many highlights on this album for me to touch on. “Two Jet Planes” is a favorite on many levels with its questioning which is more important, the journey or the destination. The emotional journey of “Hold Back the Tide” with the line “how far can we run with the hammer pulled back on the gun.” Talk about a line really hitting you in the feels. Then, “No King” flips the script with its use of blend of strings and synths and its pop-ish arrangement. The band has stated that they wanted to do something disco inspired and this song is the result. It’s hard not to move when you listen to this one. Then, it flips again with what’s probably my favorite track on the album “Dead Star Light.” You cannot listen to this one without feeling the emotion in Brand’s vocals. On many albums, the closing track tends to be one of the weaker, if not weakest, songs on the album. That’s not the case with this album and the song “Trail.” It’s a song about picking up the pieces and moving on. “It’s hard to see what’s upright, in a world that’s upside down. Oh but doubt could kill you on the chase.” Wow! What a line!
Daniel Cook wears many hats on this album and he excels on every task that he has taken on. That has to be a daunting task to take on, to get the song just right. I can imagine a painter who is painting a picture and adding a little more blue to get it just right. Then, you need to add just a little bit of red and then just a little bit of green, etc., etc. I commend Cook on doing an amazing job on this album. What is that classic line, “All killer, no filler”? That really does describe this album. It’s a beautiful piece of art from beginning to end that we highly recommend. I can definitely see it on our “Best Albums of 2023” list.
I’m Music Magazine Owner/Editor Johnny Price
Connect with The One Eighties:
