Rolling Stone says.. "as popularity in Americana rises, Christian Lopez can connect the dots for many young listeners..” Christian Lopez is not merely riding the wave of Americana Music, the West Virginia native, is bending it to its knees. With the will of his voice and the stomp of a steady beat, Christian Lopez is pioneering his own brand of indie folk rock. Like a young Whitman, Lopez translates the iconic America before him into rousing romps and searing serenades employing crisp and thoughtful imagery and storytelling. Lopez recorded his debut album, “Onward”, produced by Americana super-producer, Dave Cobb (Sturgill Simpson, Chris Stapleton) when he was just 18. Followed up by his critically acclaimed sophomore album, “Red Arrow”, in 2017 featuring songs like “Swim The River” & guests like Vince Gill.
But on his new album “The Other Side,” Lopez transcends all of those hot-shot titles to emerge a well-rounded and experienced artist. Produced by Robert Adam Stevenson (Queens Of The Stone Age, Jeff Beck, Nikki Lane) is the sound of a man who knows precisely who he is. Now 27, he's excised the trappings of a youth run wild and all but killed the ego that can undermine the evolution of an artist. "Take the blade from my hand and do what I can't: cut me down," Lopez pleads in the slow-burning "Tanglin'." He doubles down on that sentiment of transformation in the brooding title track: "I’m gonna go to the woods and come out the other side," he sings over and over again like a mantra.
A musician's musician, Lopez plays every instrument on The Other Side, with an assist from drummer Carl Thomson. While the West Virginia native's earlier albums, 2015's Onward and the 2017 follow-up Red Arrow, embraced more organic sounds and instruments — underscoring his Appalachian lineage and roots-rock pedigree — The Other Side smartly expands and electrifies his palette. It's a muscular record, dynamic and unencumbered by genres, but with hints of Lopez's influences: the Avett Brothers, David Byrne, Tom Waits, and Johnny Cash.
