Anchors Aweigh is an ode to letting-go, fragments of an American journey pieced together as the postscript to a letter. Songwriters Brian Keenan and Adrian Morgan document a year of heartbreak and goodbyes set to the backdrop of a CSNY jangle.
In Proud Simon‘s 7-year voyage, they’ve explored everything from haunting banjo lullabies to bombastic orchestral pop. For Anchors Aweigh, the band sought the wisdom of Jamie Candiloro, producer behind the definitive sound of Ryan Adams and R.E.M. to give the record a toughness and clarity of pure Americana. He focused the verbose and sprawling poems into a clear, consistent wall of sound, a platform for the intricacies of the stories to dive from.
Over the course of the year, the band flexed from it’s 2 core members to a 5-piece ensemble and back again, introducing diverse and unconventional approaches to the songs. Candiloro sought to capture the heart of the music while maintaining the eclectic and unique approach to Keenan and bassist Adrian Morgan’s challenging arrangements and expressive language. The title track follows the characters on a profound trip down the coastline on California’s Highway 1. Weary from travel, and foreseeing the end of an era, it’s a tribute to a friendship and learning how to let go slowly. Keenan proclaims “The Empire State is running through my veins while you’re packing up your things, and it’s gonna hurt when you leave.” It’s a throwback to “Bringing it All Back Home”, a country-rock groove that bursts from the static of an unknown radio station.
Documented in this EP is a redefinition of Proud Simon’s sounds and stories, to be discovered by the next tenants digging in the backyard. The band is currently writing a full-length follow up, a continuation of the strength and openness of Anchors Aweigh.
Proud Simon
Anchors Aweigh
self-released
November 10, 2009
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