Review: Bywater Call ‘Remain’

Photo: Bywater Call by Elliot Tilleczek

By David Bulley

The single off the album, Remain by Bywater Call, a seven-piece southern soul, blues and rock masterclass, set to release, on September 2, 2022 via Gypsy Soul Records, is the title track, but after several listens, all the way through it seems like the key to unlocking the emotional content of this brilliant album is the song, “Lover Down Slow.” The song treats a difficult and sad topic with joyful musicianship, which after understanding the idea of difficult, sometimes accusatory topics seen through uplifting music made by gifted musicians, can one come to truly appreciate what is going on in this album.

Remain is sophisticated blues/rock with seriously high production values,  high musicianship, and compellingly emotional vocal breaks.

Meghan Parnell’s voice might be what happens if Susan Tedeschi and Bonny Raitt had a secret Canadian love child and that child grew up to have a ferocious independence and style all her own. While Dave Barnes has certainly learned from the greats of blues/rock and we can hear that influence, he also occupies a space all his own. His slide guitar playing is vibrant and tasteful; it’s never too much, always in the pocket, supporting and at exactly the right moments soaring.

The single, “Remain” highlights a muted trumpet by Stephen Dyte, which is jazzy, and full and delightful, while the sax by Julian Nalli adds a reediness that compliments the rasp in Meghan’s voice. The lyrics throughout the album are poetic, insightful, and surprising. If Emily Dickenson wrote songs it might sound like this, the brilliant and wise insight, nailing the subjects to the wall. In “Remain” she sings “Lay me down in the ashes of all we left unsaid,” poetically suggesting the fire without ever mentioning it. In the song “Let me be wrong” she sings, “Now that I see you, walk away with all your pride” and then adds the title as a lament but we all know she is not wrong. The sadness becomes exquisite and tinged with the joy of life.

Watch “Remain”

“Left Behind” is a powerful, rich blues rock song reminding the listener of masters of the genre The Black Crowes and The Band, along with Ties That Bind, Dave Barnes’ style really shines in these songs that are deeply in the genre, but somehow original.

We also need to talk about bass. Throughout the album, on every track, Mike Meusel plays a driving, moody, musical bass, always in the pocket but with deep pockets that allow a lot of movement. At times super funky, like in the song “Sea we Swim,” which is funk all day, or “Left Behind” where he grabs the metaphorical rope and pulls the song forward. In “Ties that Bind” he drives the boat while Dave Barnes takes that freedom and runs with it in for serious solo work.

In “Go Alone” the drums of Bruce McCarthy are shown in a light that opens up his exceptional work on every song. Here the toms beat a heavy insistent emotional rhythm that supports the vocals fully. “Go Alone” is jazz-influenced, minor key goodness that seems ideally suited to extended live jams.

Finally, the last song on the album is “Bring it Back, which poetically ends the cycle. It sort of answers the question what if Duane Allman played slide for The Black Crowes? The album is titled Remain, and poetically, one must wonder what happens if you remain? If I remain then the next step is the announcement that YOU must “Bring it Back. And we are back, back to big band rock and roll, back to fun, back to joy, and back for more. Bywater Call’s self-titled debut album was released in November of 2019 to critical acclaim.

Bywater Call website