Description:
Under a Mackerel Sky comprises thirteen acoustic tracks that span a range of tempo and style, yet share a gentle mood that wraps around the listener with the graceful ease of a slide guitar slipping into a note or the gentle trill of a distant mandolin. Strell deftly wields melody and metaphor to unveil the turbulent realms of human emotion, relationships, and existence. His songs combine traditional technique with an alternative sensibility to deliver a message with wit and sensitivity. The music soothes while the lyrical imagery strikes deep, complementing the cool depths of the musical seascape with personal revelation that evokes the universal.
From the Author:
"Mackerel sky is a metaphor for change. In terms of the weather, a mackerel sky indicates deteriorating conditions. For me, these songs explore the question of what it means to accept the world as it is when it won't stay that way for very long." -- Joe Strell
Track List:
frantic / driving through kansas / this dream to end / better than this / hazy / as i do / i might have guessed / i love new york / dave / my photograph, forever / wanted / manzanita /i'm not looking for trouble (tonight)
Credits:
Joe Strell - vocals, guitar, mandolin, ukulele, bass, percussion
Marie Jacobsen - car door slam on "driving through kansas"
Jack Lenzo - art direction, design and photography
