Sean Thompson’s Weird Ears

Sean’s been on the radar around here since well before his debut, one of the true heads in the Cosmic Country scene and Nashville’s own secret weapon in the studio. Having worked early on with Pujol and Promised Land Sound before becoming a fixture with Spencer Cullum, Teddy and the Rough Riders, Erin Rae, and Rich Ruth, Thompson is a name among those looking for the right touch on guitar. His debut for Curation spent more time on the speakers in the last few years than almost any I can remember, and it was with great anticipation that news of a new album came this way. Striking out on his own, with a new label dubbed Ears Across America, the new album picks up the country psych reins once again, burning some kaleidoscopic saunter into the synapses. Though, Sean’s no slouch in the traditional trades either, and both get a display on Head In The Sand.

Tour tough and storm seasoned, the new album balances rambling jukebox rockers with a heady dose of organ-doused DMT mind flayers. In the latter camp, Thompson gets to work quickly, hitting the listener with “Storms Coming Tonight” just two songs into the album’s opening run. The cut feels like a kindred spirit to former labelmate Erik Silverman’s quicksilver cut “All In My Head,” another favorite around here in the last couple of years. Things get lighter as the album locks in, but Sean remains a consummate sculptor of the human condition, letting the levity break with the sobering “Not In The Cards” and the soft simmer of closer “Songs From The Heart.” The debut was a shot over the bow, but the sophomore album proves that Sean’s comfortable at the helm and climbing higher on the marquee every day.

Support the artist. Buy it HERE.