TJ Doyle - On The Horizon (Self Released)

The sort of bold sincerity achieved byTJ Doyle is admirable and definitely rare. His album, On The Horizon blows hard and honest, never once wavering.

Loss and a deep sense of resignation permeate the record. The ten tracks affect the listener like Neil Young, standing on the brink of Harvest an artist coming forth with a whole drawer full of wisdom, unraveled through a series of embittered yarns. Doyle reveals world-weary views, his songs pre-occupied with looking back instead of always forward. He describes the reconciliation of personal losses on “Change”, the opening track where he sings about pain and not wanting to change a thing, a sentiment that colors those sultry guitar lines a little blue and definitely more serious. Doyle plays his instrument masterfully, bright sunbursts on tracks like “Living In Our Dream” and “Rosemary’s Wishes” revealing a staggering grasp of American rock and roll, a seemingly lost art.

Sometimes Doyle tends to tell it like it is and it feels like a little too much. He’s either comes in on the nose, or he’s connecting those lyrical dots for the listener too obviously. That’s half the fun. These are fleeting moments though, and a spin through On The Horizon feels as refreshing as the catharsis often described.