
Sean McConnell returns to action with news of a new album "A Horrible Beautiful Dream" due in August. With the lead single "The 13th Apostle", the confident soulful gospel groove established on "Secondhand Smoke" returns.The album promises a number of guest appearances and collaborations from the likes of Fancy Hagood, Natalie Hemby, Audra Mae and Dan Tyminski and this opening single has the presence of the Wood Brothers.
Being unable to tour, Sean had made full use of his home studio and with the world having ground to a virtual halt it has given time for Sean to look at a number of things - “Everything from our marriages to our workout routines, social injustice to planet politics and religion, spirituality and our internal environment… everything has come to the surface,”
With a title of "The 13th Apostle" it is going to be hard to avoid the religious aspect of the title, and Sean addresses this in the opening lines backed by just a mandolin.
"Everybody knows about James and John
How Peter's the rock i built upon
But nobody knows about little old me
About the black sheep of the family"
Sean's 13th apostle is meant to represent a black sheep ( hence the endearing cover!) as he puts it an outcast "because they can’t or won’t fall in line with something they don’t believe, yet they still love the baby despite the bath water.
The second verse sees the appearance of the Wood Brothers, taking over on slightly cracked vocals and beefing up the sound, sending it on more of a Band like direction.
It's a great ensemble piece with a truly delightful mandolin and it finds Sean on sparkling vocal form
undoubtedly giving us something to look forward to arriving in the summer
