- Bryon Harris
Rich Krueger – ‘What We Are’
Rich Krueger is a veteran to the Americana scene based out of the Chicago and the NYC regions. He has been writing and performing since 1985 both solo and with his band, The Dysfunctionells. Rich and the band have been featured on WXRT, PBS-Melbourne and WFMT. They have backed up the Holy Modal Rounders at their reunion at The Bottom Line in NYC. Recently, Rich was deemed as a Kerrville Folk Festival New Folk Finalist. As a precursor to the two full length albums he plans on releasing this year, Rich has released a five song EP titled, Overpass, drawing songs from each of the projects. His song, “What We Are” is a great sneak-peak into what is to come.
The song begins with a soothing intro featuring a simple bass line accompanied by melodic lines on guitar and keys as other instruments fade in the background filling out the well-written mix. With a professional quality sound, the beautiful arrangement will captivate listeners right from the start.
Starting off the first verse, Rich enters singing, “Now that your world has gone turned inside out/And everything you hold true is plagued with doubt,/If there’s still a place where life’s wrestled free from fear,/And there’s a God who loves us,/It ain’t here,” showcasing his timeless sound. Rich's vocals make the track whole and organic with his compelling, story-telling style of singing.
“What We Are” is a song about the paradox of having hope that things will get better despite the long history of terrible things happening around us. Entering the hook he sings, “Take your broken wooden heart/And carve yourself a gypsy violin./Make it laugh just like a mother’s crying./Listen while it whispers “The world isn’t dying”/And “Tomorrow‘s really not that far/ Remember, tomorrow’s what we are,” offering us the glimpse of sunlight that promises to follow after the dark. Krueger's lyrics are as deeply compelling as his music.
Rich Krueger presents lyrical poignancy with memorable tunes making “What We Are” a great kick-off into his new projects that will leave you eager to hear what is on the way. His music is available for purchase via CDbaby as well as iTunes and Amazon. To keep up with Rich and his releases, visit his website.