Longtime readers of Immersive Atlanta will recognize Book Club as a musically inventive Americana band that blends soaring string sections with playful banjos, glockenspiel, and steel guitar. Led by Robbie Horlick, the group’s songs are innovative, elliptical—and they ring in your head for days. Book Club’s upcoming fourth LP, however, shows the band venturing out of their familiar sonic territory. Wild Town reaches for big expanses of sound ranging from lulling drones to lush orchestrations, often within the same song.
The album’s lead single, “Beautiful There,” is an aching narrative with soaring strings that conjures the homespun naturalism of the Band. Egged on by ringing chords and a plodding backbeat, Horlick spins a pensive tale of traveling and what it means to live in a strange country. The track centers around a dialogue between two characters struggling with their own identity and sense of place; whether that’s a literal situation or an intense feeling of alienation is up to the listener to interpret.
Ambiguity hangs heavy in the eaves with the narrator remarking, “I sailed here on a ship of memory.” It’s not quite hopeful, but it isn’t dismissive of optimism. Instead, the song’s strength lies in its conviction. Horlick has always had a penchant for clear-eyed lyricism, but “Beautiful There” takes it to new, exciting places, digging deep into his lower vocal register to tell a tale that’s smartly constructed and painfully honest.
Stream the track below via Bandcamp or Spotify.
Wild Town will be out this summer.
Book Club will perform on Sat., March 20 at Waller’s Coffee Shop alongside Pony Bradshaw. Doors open at 6:30 p.m. Admission is $20 pre-sale only. No walk-up ticket purchases will be available. Waller’s is a safe venue to experience live music in an outdoor, socially-distanced setting.
More Info
Web: bookclubtheband.com
Bandcamp: bookclubtheband.bandcamp.com
Facebook: @joinbookclub
Instagram: @bookclubtheband
Twitter: @BookClubAtlanta