Cole Gallagher - The Confluence EP (2023)

Cole Gallagher has a new EP produced, engineered and mixed by Vance Powell, The Confluence. Assistant engineer for the project was Michael Fahey with some additional engineering by William Burke. Cole’s band for the album includes Sadler Vaden, Jimbo Hart and Chad Gamble of the 400 Unit.

“Lines in the Sky” “you know I drew them for you” is an expansive, powerful rock ‘n roll love song, and the first thing you’ll notice is Cole’s rich multi-dimensional vocals amidst the sexy arrangement.

“Stumbling in the Dark” finds Cole’s vocal range in other territory — sounding like a low end Billy Idol, with the breadth of Eddie Vedder, and then soaring to high soprano peaks. He’s got natural talent.

“Chatting Through Steel” is a duet with Los Lobos’ David Hidalgo who also plays a lush but subtle accordion on this one and the arrangement quiets things to an introspective space for this one. “I’ve never felt that I was old, if I wanted to leave, then I’d just go.”

“Delilah” adds strings and “I wrote a song about you but I forgot all the words.” Sometimes love is two ships passing in the dark night, and this one is about those times when it feels like it just will not work our. “Please don’t leave me for the next blue sky.”

“Sugarland” (a Springsteen cover) adds horns and sax and really steps up the energy. Cole adds a little bit of a darker twist to the buoyancy of Springsteens’s recording, but the horns bring it back to the heart of the song’s original intent.

“The Ocarins of Tennessee” adds Fats Kaplin on pedal steel and is a pretty song, “come on sun, shine down on me… what is life outside the cage.”