Album Notes

Rand Reynolds’ BEAT stays true to his own vision by advancing , reinventing and deepening his own artistry by temporarily adopting styles that others have built careers on. And this CD could prove to be his bravest of all. At least as far as the arrangements are concerned. Reynolds is outside his comfort zone here, but he easily adapts. Reynolds is, after all, in most underground country circles, just another man with an acoustic guitar at open mike night. The songs still reek of desperation, danger and disappointment. In his world, hope and desperation go hand in hand, but he knows full well that his dreams of easy deliverance are empty, two sided and vague. Overall, BEAT is another collection of unfulfilled dreams with little chance of grace or salvation. It is as deep and unsettling as any of his past recordings once you get past the rock mix format. Every line of verse still cannot hide the fact that there’s no peace to be found in his darkness. He continues to ask a lot of questions and encourages the listener to search for the answers he himself is still hungering for. BEAT is as deep and unsettling as any of his acoustic efforts to date, and an important addition to his Hillbilly Noir journey.