From Louisville, Kentucky comes singer/songwriter is Nick Peay and this is his story of struggling with and coming to grips with addiction.
Opening with “Put This Bottle Down,” the mood is upbeat and too much hasn’t yet become too much for him. “Every Morning” is another uptempo song where he laments “I miss you every morning,” and a sense of loss is evident but not overwhelming. It’s on the third track, “I Won’t Fall in Love” where everything crashes headlong into itself. “First it’s last call, then we’re out of here/A belly full of thought and a head of beer/You might blur a little/I just might slur a little.” but it soon becomes evident Life has caught up unceremoniously and our narrator sounds ready to stop. “Ok baby, I think I’ve had enough. “ he offers with a tired sense of resignation.
“Sobering” calls to mind the AA truism, “Fake it ’till you make it,” as he feels alien in his own skin. “And I have the strangest feeling/That I might fall down” having to live life with a clear head can be it’s own hell when you’ve relied on Dutch courage for so long. The song turns in psychedelia, with samples and cacophonous guitars clatter against each other.
The closing song is a reprise of the opening track, but know he proudly declares, “But baby, I’ve put this bottle down.” You’d be hard pressed to find a more emotionally honest record. Peay, at odds with who he was when he was drinking wrestles extensively with his demons before emerging at peace with himself on the other side.
This 5 song ep is best consumed all at once. It works well from start to finish, with a cohesive narrative and and a tormented protagonist. Peay never wallows in self pity. He confronts his problems head on is better for it in the end.