I spend a lot of time sitting by the ocean and attempting to dissolve all my fears in the saltwater - so of course, a song called “Water” would be the first thing I noticed. The first few lines sounded like they could, in fact, become a new addition to my walking-in-the sand repertoire. Then the song crashed, like the waves over my feet, beyond easy listening into energetic, eclectic, guitar-filled funk and rock. I decided then and there that Wes McDonald was the male Mazzy Star. But then, as is my habit, I changed my mind - I was pleased to figure out that he sounds like a bona fide Southern rocker, a cross between Neil Young, The Black Crowes, and the Allman Brothers, all with an overlay of AC/DC. Southern rock (and even my new favorite genre, country music) is my lifelong obsession because it drips with emotion and passion - you can feel it coming off and out of every single line. The lyrics always tell a vibrant story that everyone can relate to, which is the most important thing to me - I am always looking for a way to find my life in music. Even though I don’t know from where Wes McDonald hails (and I am not certain he was purposefully aiming for a place in the legacy of Southern rock), he touches me in the same way that my favorite musicians in the genre do. I sit at the beach and try to “find myself” and some meaning in my life, and get rid of my frustration about the fact that I don’t know which road to take or where to take it to. Most importantly, I am finally figuring out that you can’t be everything to everyone, and I am sure Wes McDonald understands that. But he seemed to speak directly to me when he says in track 10, “It’s in the ocean/ a whole lotta soul there.” So I guess I am in the right place.