Michale Graves - Backroads

So, after releasing When Worlds Collide  and Bedlam, Graves has taken a break from the monster music and has gone acoustic for a more personal touch. This album is awesome as it shows him spreading his wings musically like he did on Vagabond and Wanderer albums. However, this is all new material, stripped down completely to its bare bones letting both his lyrics and voice shine on through. No fancy tricks no nothing beyond guitars, piano and a touch of bass on these songs. This really is a fantastic listen for both long time fans and new fans alike who are just discovering his material. Yes, he can do the monster music almost as well as anyone on the planet but, he is also an amazing songwriter in his own right who can do stuff outside the Horror Rock genre and still be awesome! Turns out, it isn't evil all the time. Standouts include the opener and title track "Backroads", "Worst Day of my Life", "The World Turned Upside Down", "Condemned to Love", "Night", "Neverland", "The Creek", "I Believe", "Fields, Towns and Folks" and the closer "Am I Nothing At All?". This is a fantastic listen from beginning to end as Graves is one talented human being! Bar none, his albums don't disappoint as he is much more than his Misfits material.