Indiana-based singer-songwriter Nate Logston is on his fifth (!) full length album. His songwriting is dripping with experience and the hard-earned scars that come with being a seasoned musician (and life-liver, for that matter). His latest offering is the 11-song Marriages & Divorces (M&D) – a thoughtful and contemplative look at the complexities of love, loss, and what it means to be in a relationship. M&D’s heart-on-your-sleeve vibes are perfectly orchestrated by his personal brand of indie-folk/Americana – the meandering tempos, starry-eyed energies, and warm, lo-fi mix here are a perfect match for Logston’s artistic aura. In a perfect show of synergy, he’s brought along a bevy of world class musicians including Robert Shelton (co-producer, keys, mixing); Allen Van Wert and Julie Odnorolov (guitars); Adam Hill (slide and baritone guitars, backing vocals); Andrew Maguire (percussion); and Meernaa (backing vocals).
The album starts out with single “Water High,” a slide-guitar tinged, indie-folk tune laden with a noted air of sadness. Echoes of Father John Misty peek through Logston’s lyrics, a collection of broken-hearted stanzas and sardonic turns of phrase. Clever lines like “no one cares if I stay, they just want to say not to go” bring to mind that sometimes, selfishly, it’s hard to watch good things happen to your loved ones… That, or, it’s tough to watch your peers make bad decisions when you think you have something profound to say about it. “High’s” lyrical content (and most of M&D) hits so close to home, it’s clear why Logston chose it to kick off this batch of songs – it gets our vote for album favorite.
Song two, “No Takers,” takes a hard shift into 70s soul/funk territory. Stabbing guitars and plinking woodblocks give this one a vintage feel, but Logston nonetheless continues his crushing lyrical approach: “it was me who pulled the faders, she kept holding up a traitor. Try not to tell her I tried to save her, I tried to give her up… No takers.” Alongside his wordplay, there are some excellent guitar licks peppered throughout “No Takers,” which perfectly add to the overall angst here. Logston channels his ennui without ever sounding woe-is-me – instead, his lyrics read as articulate, mysterious, and, most importantly, real.
Songs like track three, “Ringside” and track four, “You Don’t Seem To Mind” find Logston returning back to his indie-folk roots. His acoustic guitar backbones here are bolstered by moaning electric guitars and lush, atmospheric instrumentation, bringing to mind contemporaries like Bright Eyes, Elliott Smith, and Bon Iver at his folksiest. Same goes for the string-tinged “Into Afterward,” which at first sounds fuzzy and inviting but is yet another of Logston’s heart wrenching compositions.
Logston branches out just the right amount across Marriages & Divorces, padding his intimate Americana with just enough experimentation. The drum-machine-tinged “My Brother” pairs a Casio keyboard percussive presence with super crunchy guitars and a nimble bassline… And somehow, an absolutely face-melting guitar solo. Yep that’s right, while Logston’s typical m.o. is gently-strummed acoustic chords, Van Wert’s virtuosic guitar presence helps to elevate the song even further. “Exit Plan” is another fun outlier, a bluesy number with a hint of Kurt Vile energy. Logston ties everything up succinctly with the beautiful and slightly-hopeful album closer, “Gradually,” its gently plucked guitar chords reminding us where we started just over forty minutes ago.
Marriages & Divorces is out on January 5th, 2024. Be sure to get yourself familiar with Nate’s Spotify so you don’t miss it when it comes out.