Over the past few years, New Jersey seems to be a state that has been experiencing an explosion of awesomeness on their local music scene. Let’s see – a handful of projects that are either based in NJ or have members based there come to mind pretty much immediately – Elk City, Gramercy Arms, Quiz Show and Rob Munk (all brought to us as fans of the Magic Door Record Label.), as well as such artists as All Systems Go, Violet Whimsey, Fletcher and Autumn Luz. Well today, we have the pleasure of introducing a new artist to sign to the aforementioned label – a collective known as CR and The Nones.
Their new single ‘The Long Game’ heralds their forthcoming long-player ‘The Ghosts Are Coming Home’. While this is the band’s second album, it will be the first on this label, their 2020 debut album ‘Living In Fear’ having been released by Favorite Friend Records.
If ‘The Long Game’ is any indication of what to expect, we have a whole album of greatness to look forward to. With a timbre similar to Elliot Smith and Christopher Cross, CR and The Nones has a huge and positive sound that recalls the best of 70s AM radio, as well as select output from certain 90s artists like Weezer and Better Than Ezra.
Led by guitarist and songwriter Chris Gennone, the band is a phoenix that has risen from the ashes of CR and The Degenerates, who released five albums from 2016 to 2018. Today, the band retains the Degenerates’ core of Chris Gennone, lead/slide guitarist Jim Abbott, and bassist John Dewitt. This new project allowed him to expand the unique hybrid of folk, country, punk, and heartland rock to create music with expansiveness and introspection that recalls The War on Drugs or early My Morning Jacket, the ten tracks here showcase an irresistible sincerity and heartfelt delivery.
Like many artists, the pandemic and resultant huge chunks of unfilled time allowed Gennone to be more considered, thoughtful, and purposive in his songwriting for this album. Being forced out of his normal songwriting process and comfort zone opened Gennone to new influences, and his resulting growth as a songwriter is evident. While friends from the NYC and NJ music scenes contributed ideas and sounds, some influences are not as obvious. Gennone recalls listening to Brian Eno non-stop while recording ‘Ghosts’, and the synth sounds and ambient textures that underpin much of the album are certainly a testament to that.
Self-produced by Gennone, this album was mixed by renowned producer Ray Ketchem(Guided By Voices, Luna, Versus, Elk City, Gramercy Arms) at Magic Door Recording Studio in Montclair, NJ and mastered by Nick Bolton at Bolton Sound in Jersey City.
‘I wrote the lyrics for this song in the midst of a break up in the middle of Covid lockdowns and just after losing my job, so everything seemed pretty bleak. I felt defeated and was just kind of searching for something I could hold onto. My ex and I were driving down the turnpike and I was in the passenger seat watching the planes take off and all of the words came to me at once. I wrote the melody and chords pretty soon after,” says CR Gennone.
“I did a lot of work on this song, first recording the drums with my friend Josh Bartsch from Pynkie and doing all of the vocals, harmonies, guitars and synths at my apartment. The original version was mixed by Jeff Zeigler in Philly, but I decided to scrap it and re-track everything with Tom Barrett on drums at Skylar’s studio in Wayne. Andrew recorded Jim’s guitar parts at his apartment and then I tracked everything else at my place.”
Recalling past Garden State guitar music, Gennone’s soulful vocals and his band’s driving hooks invoke roads, journeys, and forward motion in general. Counting Neil Young and Jason Molina among major influences, his sound has always been propulsive.
As of July 12, ‘The Long Game’ is available from fine music platforms, including Spotify, Apple Music, and Bandcamp. ‘The Ghosts Are Coming Home’ album will be released on September 8 and is now available for pre-order.
CREDITS
Written by CR Gennone
CR Gennone – Vocals, Guitars, Tambourine, Synths, Piano
James Abbott – Guitar, Lap Steel
John Dewitt – Bass
Tom Barrett – Drums
Featuring Ryley Crowe (from the band Dusk) – Pedal Steel
Kyle Wilkerson (from the band Joy Cleaner) – Vocals
Skylar Adler – Drums
Donnie Law – Guitar
Chris Fox (from the band, Ruby Bones) – Guitar
Ross Burlingame – Piano
Produced by CR Gennone
Engineered by CR Gennone, Skylar Adler, and Andrew Merclean
Mixed by Ray Ketchem at Magic Door Recording in Montclair, NJ
Mastered by Nick Bolton at Bolton Sound in Jersey City, NJ
Video filmed and edited by Joe Evans III
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