Noah Claunch extending ‘Hands’ reach
Listening to Noah Claunch’s 2022 album “Workin’ Hands,” I was struck by what a clean-sounding, solid release it is — not to mention, pragmatic. Also, now that Claunch has relocated to Nevada, based on the one-two punch of the album’s first two songs, “99” (as in the freeway) and “California Sun,” I guess you can take the man out of Bakersfield, but you can’t take the Bakersfield out of … well, you can guess the rest.
Although Claunch was still a Bakersfield native at the time of the album’s release, he’s since extended his particular branch of the Bakersfield Sound to places like Gilley’s Saloon and Blake Shelton’s Ole Red venue in Las Vegas where Claunch and his band The Marshals have been steady performers.
“Workin’ Hands” is finally available on all streaming platforms and even though it’s been a few years since its release, for fans of local country music it’s a strong showcase for Claunch’s soulful musical charisma and skill.
While songs like “Stoned,” with its occasional keyboard bass throbbing, and the catchy “Gotta Get to Know You” flirt with more modern, electronic sounds — at least for 2022 — the songs don’t rely on modern pop country soundcraft to give them relevance. The title track, featuring Claunch, along with his father, Steve Claunch, and his son, Payton Claunch, trading choruses, could easily have been found on an album by George Strait. The album closer, “Daily Walking,” fully immerses itself in gospel territory via New Orleans.
Claunch is joined by guest stars Monty Byrom and Teddy Spanke to create a vocal trio harmony to kick off “California Sun.”
The album’s biggest statement is the track “I Don’t Love You Anymore,” which indulges itself with some chord progressions that are a bit more lush than much of the standard country ballad fare.
Aside from some keyboard string patches, it’s just Claunch on the piano singing about, “I can’t drink away the memory/when you walked out the door/when you said ‘I don’t love you anymore.'”
Soon, the drums kick in with a dynamic drum performance by Jerry Tyler, delicately and deftly supporting the song, until Claunch is left alone on the piano again with a final lyrical turnaround that made me ask the question, “Who really left who here?”
There’s a deft contemporary polish on the 13 songs on the release that begs for airplay on nationwide country radio and streaming playlist rotation. “Workin’ Hands” is an album that looks and feels humble but revs with confident commercial ambition bigger than its pragmatic station.