Mountain Fever Records has released a new single from Geary & John, an updated version of Clyde Moody’s I Can Tell When I’m Not Wanted.
Geary and John is a side project for guitarists Geary Allen of the Burnett Sisters and John Gooding of The Po’ Ramblin’ Boys. According to Mountain Fever, their focus is on allowing their instruments and voices to take the lead – just the two men, their vintage Martin guitars, and recording completely live.
“Our goal was to let the song speak for itself,” the duo says. “With just two guitars and a lead vocal, we wanted to capture the feeling of sitting in a living room picking songs with friends—the way this music was meant to be heard.”
The duo definitely captures that 1930s and ’40s pre-bluegrass sound. If it were recorded on vinyl, the cracks and hisses would lead you to believe the recording was indeed much older. The simple arrangement should not be overlooked, however. Geary and John easily prove less is often more with this new release. I particularly enjoyed the synced harmony parts played on guitar!
The vocal lines are unadorned, straight forward, and easily understood. Geary & John reflect both the pain and the resignation in the lyrics as the song closes: “They say you’ve found a new love, so I’ll bow out gracefully, and I can tell when I’m not wanted, so today I’ll set you free.”
I Can Tell When I’m Not Wanted is available now from popular online services for streaming or download.
