The opening track of Covering Ground, “Nothing Left to Prove,” aptly summarizes Chuck Ragan’s comfort with his solo project. Here’s a man that has worked hard to build one of the most recognizable punk bands of its generation, Hot Water Music, for the better part of two decades. Much like his Revival Tour companions, Ragan has reached the middle of his life, established himself as one of the flag-bearers of a genre and is now challenging himself to cross over into an entirely different field. Whilst it could appear to some as an almost “mid-life crisis” attempt at recapturing the sounds of the bands that Ragan listened to as a boy, it also is clear that Ragan is not alone in joining an army of musicians looking to revive the Springsteen-esque folk-rock of days passed.

The vocal style of Ragan becomes the evident focus on first listen – the packaging is different, Ragan now resembling friend and musical accomplice, the far more gruff-country singing Brian Fallon, Gaslight Anthem and The Horrible Crowes’s vocalist who makes a guest appearance on “Meet You in the Middle.” But this isn’t to suggest an entirely revamped sound; this is still very much Ragan and there are ultimately moments where he can’t help but indulge his Hot Water Music alter ego; one moment lasts the entire length of “Valentine.” Yet, there are also times, like on “Come Around” where Ragan fully-embraces his newfound Southern soul, where a prominent double-bass line, classic-country female harmonies and hay-barn strings wail underneath his Johnny Cash impersonation.

The lyrical themes, at times unsurprisingly, seem plain and unoriginal. This apparent insecurity tends to be masked by an over indulgence in backing instrumentals, exemplified by “Right As Rain” and the Gaelic fiddle of “Nomad By Fate,” that verges on tacky. Yet there are also moments where this “more is more” approach works just right, with “Seems We’re Ok” presenting a magnificently melancholy harmonica tune, as well as the well-placed strings on “Meet You in the Middle,” the true two highlights of the record.

Covering Ground is a hark-back to the airwaves of decades before and achieves Ragan’s aim of proving that in fact, he has nothing left to prove.  Perhaps more importantly, it simultaneously manages to keep a fresh air about it that breathes life into a style of music that deserves to be kept alive.

★★★.5/★★★★★

*This review was composed by Ramsey Marwan
*This review was edited by Emily Coch