Pete Yorn - The Hard Way (2024) Hi-Res

Pete Yorn has been consistently releasing new music going back to ”musicforthemorningafter” (Columbia, 2001), putting out new records about every three years or so. He’s had many strong, “full band” records in just the last 15 years including “Back & Forth” (Sony, 2009), “Arranging Time” (Boyletown, 2016), “Caretakers” (Shelly, 2019), and “Hawaii” (Shelly 2022). Listen to his music for a while and you realize he’s had an appreciable run with solid songwriting central to his strength. His hushed vocals complement his ballads and counterbalance his up-tempo rockers.

“The Hard Way”, also on Shelly, isn’t so much of a departure as it may appear on first listen. Yes, you’ll notice a lack of drums and electric guitars on most tracks but may not miss them a bit. Indeed, the album’s starkness is gorgeously echoed with the cover photography, with black and white western US imagery (courtesy of wife, Beth). And like the southwest desert pictured on the cover, this record is hardly sparse, but rather incredibly rich if only you give it your full attention. Can anyone do this these days?

This country-folk direction isn’t new for Pete; see the “Westerns (EP)” (self-released, 2006). In fact, most of his albums have acoustic songs and Pete’s naturally scratchy, gentle vocal seems to take on bit of a southern (south Jersey?) twang.

”The Hard Way” spans just eight tracks and 25 minutes, making it feel cozy and precious. The album is even stronger when played in succession after the last album or two. It’s as if Pete played a full band show featuring these records and then followed it up with a charming, low-lit, unplugged “Hard Way” affair at a fan’s house at midnight. Held this way, the record fits even better into the framework of Pete’s now lengthy discography.

With lush production by grammy-winning producer and friend, Josh Gudwin, Pete has shared that this record wouldn’t in fact exist without him. The album’s title track is classic Pete acoustics with a nice addition of synths bringing a bigger, symphonic sound. The same is true with “Different Roads”. “Someday, Someday” (released in January as a single, and co-written with Gudwin) is definitely one of the strongest songs on the LP. Even Pete, ever soft-spoken and humble, seems to have more of a confident voice here.