Following the 2015 release of Burning Through the Night by Andrew Waite & the Firm, Waite recently released his new album Tremors, and with it comes new angles for the musician. Dancing between genres, this album takes fans a step away from the roots rock of his previous release and into heavier and even more retro territory.
On first listen, songs “Faith” and “Cash It In” almost lend to a religious theme, leaving us wondering if the entire album was based in Christianity. Lines like “I see you, Faith. I see you in my looking glass” and “May God bless and God guide you all” seemed pretty cut and dry. But upon digging deeper, we learned that Waite had no real intention of making this album one about religion and doesn’t follow one himself.
“I wasn’t going for a religious theme at all. […] I minored in religious studies during my undergrad, but I’m not really a follower of any faith at all. If I’m honest, I’ve always been fascinated by different religions—how they work, how they’ve developed over time and, I suppose on a human level, why people choose to follow them,” says Waite.
“’Cash It In’ is probably the most religious sounding, but there’s a bit of a story behind that particular song. My great-grandfather, Thomas Love, fought in WW1 and was writing back to the family during his time there. He was from Saint John, NB. We still have the letters he wrote back. His final letter (he met his demise shortly after writing it) I took and arranged into ‘Cash It In’.”
But, not knowing the story of his great-grandfather or any other such facts really gives the album a lot of room for personal interpretation for listeners to take as they will.
Musically, Tremors makes big leaps into the direction of progressive music when compared to Burning Through the Night. Instead of sticking to a solid roots-rock feel, Waite tries his hand at more alternative sounds in “Out Out” and “Let Me Down Hard,” and melodies that lean more to the side of country in “Dandelion Wine.” Above it all, though, roots rock remains a common thread alongside some jazzy Hammond organ that pokes its head in on nearly every track, giving the album a slightly retro feel.
“Tremors was certainly a progression in terms of production, attention to writing, and arranging. […] I suppose in terms of an overall piece of work, I definitely think that this album is a significant progression from Burning Through the Night, and I’m really excited to finally get it out to listeners,” continues Waite.
On Tremors, Andrew Waite dances between genres in a way that manages to maintain the album’s sense of unity and original sound. He takes roots rock and gives it an alternative spin, making it sound fresh yet retro and right at home with a classic east-coast feel.