Remedy Motel - We Are All Around Us (2023) Hi-Res

“We Are All Around Us,” the fifth studio album by Remedy Motel, is a triumph. The band has been building up this reserve of fine tunes for over a decade, and it shows on this album. The songs are catchy, the lyrics are meaningful, the stories are well-earned, the performances heartfelt, and the mixing, production, and arrangements are world-class.

The album opens with the title track, a powerful, rising anthem about the interconnectedness of all of us. Lifting continuously throughout and soaring at the end with harmonies and hope. The song sets the tone for the rest of the album, which explores themes of love, loss, hope, and redemption.

“We Are All Around Us” is a personal album for the band. The songs are inspired by lead singer and songwriter Mica Johnson's own life and experiences, and they bring an immediate sense of open authenticity to the music. The lyrics are contemplative, revealing, and philosophical at times, but remain optimistic, honest and hopeful. The band’s members have said that they wanted to make an album that would connect with people on a deeper level, and they have certainly succeeded.

The album is full of standout tracks, but a few of the highlights include “Rearrange,” a beautiful duet with the amazing Liela Avila, who’s voice soars and brings such a lush life to a beautiful tune about letting go of the past and finding a way through hard times in a relationship. Another standout “Harder and Harder,” brings the band’s signature barroom sound back with this traveling anthem about finding your way through those tough times out on life’s road.

“We Are All Around Us” is a must-listen for fans of Americana, Country and Folk-Rock. It’s an album that will stay with you long after you’ve listened to it.