Drew Neirin's new track, "To the Bone," is a masterclass in simplicity and soul, a bluesy travelogue that's both intimate and expansive at the same time. You are taken to a place where raw emotion follows fine musicianship through some great songs. Neirin's atmospherics on the track are effortlessly unassuming, a folk-flecked acoustic muslin overlay with a hint of faint roots influence running through it, rippled with a dash of that trademark Strat tone and just enough edge to ensure that the song's essence remains undiluted.
There's an inviting warmth in the guitar work, which appears to breathe alongside the lyrics, a push and pull that's an essential component of the best blues records. It's the sort of song in which each strum and each pause is freighted with meaning. Neirin's musicality draws the audience close, inviting the song to speak personally to you, with each note echoing the human experience of desire, contemplation, and a determined courage that remains long. The sound of the track is especially appealing. In a music world that is sometimes heavy on polished, high-gloss production, "To the Bone" is a reminder of the power that the proper focus on roots-inspired music can have.
The tastefully breaking strat tones that fade in and out bring enough of a very modern blues flavor to a song that straddles traditional and modernism without conviction. It's a precarious equilibrium that Neirin pulls off with such ease and poise. In the end, "To the Bone" is an experience. Regardless of whether you're an experienced blues expert or new to the style, the song's candor and craft strike a powerful chord. Drew Neirin has created a piece of music that doesn't simply play, but speaks, lingers, and encourages reflection in you who is allowed inside, and contains verses. In a climate of ephemeral tracks, "To the Bone" feels like a stop and listen period, and the opportunity to let music move through you in form.