Well, hello there, Great Lakes. Apparently, I have been living under a rock or looking in all the wrong alleys because I hadn’t heard of you ‘til now even though you’ve been floating around for the better part of twenty years. The internet tells me that you were once in with the Elephant Six folks down in Athens, but this one ain’t soundin’ like them neo-psychedelic pop fellas. Had I not read that, I woulda thought that you’d routinely prayed at the altar of Gram Parsons. Maybe you always have; again, this is the first I’ve heard of ya. Either way, I’m glad that’s the vibe I’m picking up now—that vibe being a modern take on the cloth that Parsons once wove. I don’t know what they’re calling your type of rock these days, but I know it by a few names, such as Americana, country rock, and psych country. Whatever they’re callin’ it, I’m diggin’ it. You definitely bring a certain darkness, a certain sadness to the mix, that calls to mind the intensity and melancholy of the likes of Jason Molina and Will Oldham. You’ve definitely got a bigger sound than either of them, and y’all’s songs seem to simultaneously crush and soothe the innards. It’s good to know that when I wear this album out, you’ve got a couple of decades of material for me to delve into. Here’s to hoping it’s as engrossing as Wild Visions. –Vincent (Loose Trucks, greatlakesbencrum.bandcamp.com)