Bicentennial Drug Lord - You Are Never Alone (2025) Hi-Res

Burning bright and turning to ashes just in time to join the 27 Club is liable to cement your legacy forever, or at least for a while. Chances are, though, that that’s not the path any particular musician is on (and all the better for them, however appealing it might seem on a Sunday night when the alarm awaits maliciously, ready to inaugurate another week of mundane work). And so, time flies, here comes middle age and its new perspectives. Bicentennial Drug Lord has put together an album that revolves around this less-sung-about period, and it’s a feel-good, alternatingly touching and funny tribute to all those rockers who survived the turbulent youth exalted in the annals of music history.

Bicentennial Drug Lord is made up of long-time friends John Daniels, Rick Donner, and Alan Weatherhead, all three of whom serve as songwriters, passing around the microphone from song to song. The fact that their voices are not too dissimilar results in a fun, collaborative effort that thankfully doesn’t feel like a juggling act. They are also joined by Kevin Lumley on drums and Libby Rodenbough on fiddle and additional vocals (see track seven, ‘Rock Bottom’, a duet about doomed love with a twist).

There are several recurring themes in “You Are Never Alone”, interlinked by the vital changes explored throughout. Trouble in more established relationships, the increasingly frequent deaths of friends and acquaintances, the rescue of animals (who can even think about kids in this economy?), and regrets for both mistakes and failed expectations all play a big part in the album. ‘Iggy Pop’ stands out in the tracklist as the catchy lead single, capturing the spirit of the album with a joy that’s grounded and speaks to many.

“Finally quit smoking and swore off the powder
You pull off your ring and leave it on the counter
Since when did babysitters start charging 10 bucks an hour?
Don’t you ever stop, baby
Don’t you ever stop, baby”

“You Are Never Alone” is a comforting album that keeps up a playful tone and is likely to lift your spirits, that is, as long as the problems portrayed in the song don’t hit too close to home. There’s a special talent for picking up on mundane details and painting a painfully real picture through the filter of rock and roll. Relationships break, people die, you fuck you and end up drinking Pabst Blue Ribbon in a bar by your lonesome. But hey, look on the bright side; these songs might just be about you!