Podge Lane is an Irish alt-country musician now based in New York. Inspired by Johnny Cash, Lucinda Williams, and Zach Bryan, Podge Lane is highly commended by RTÉ Folk On One as “an artist making waves in the US Alt-Country scene.” Famous for his hard-hitting live sets, Lane has just released Ebb & Flow & The Great Unknown, an eight-track record (September 11th). Let’s discuss this masterpiece.
The album starts with “Raising Tide”, an instrumental introduction where the sound of a harmonica, delicate fingerpicking of an acoustic guitar, paired with the soft throb of a bass note, and the natural reverberation of the air in the recording room before the percussion comes in, sets up the sound. Lyrically, this is a song that describes that moment when you feel like you’re stuck in life. The character in the song tells us how hard his life is. He tells us how he feels like his life is stagnant and he’s not living but merely existing. He tries and tries, but nothing works, so he makes a final plea that the tide that lets ships pass by lift his boat so he can float. In other words, he cries out for one last time and takes steps to see how his life can be better. The vocals of Podge Lane are amazingly grounded, with a smooth, effortless, conversational quality that sounds right in your ear. With the development of the song, gentle percussion and delicate acoustic elements develop around his voice, creating rich warmth.
However, there comes a moment when the energy becomes more pronounced and rhythm-oriented through the song “The Dregs”, which opens up with a dry and muffled sound of a harmonica and then of an acoustic guitar along with a sharp snare rim shot and walking bass. As for the lyrics, the song is about the difficult aftermath of the act of reflection – sitting among the broken pieces of your mistakes and trying to make peace with it. The character in the song tells how he’s been stuck for over 20 years. Even though he feels ashamed, he expresses his desire to get out of his current situation and to get a new direction home. Lane sings with the help of an interesting and rhythmic cadence, and he puts a lot of irony in his lines. The music is also very compact and dynamic, with slide guitar playing and strong acoustic strumming.
The feeling of broad space is re-established in “The Coast,” which begins with an isolated yet resonating clean electric guitar arpeggio over a quiet organ and faint cymbal scrapes. The theme of this song focuses on the need to establish emotional limits and stability; the need for a safe place when one’s inner conflict becomes too much to bear. The character in the song tells us about a relationship that burned bright and then burned too hot, so they both crashed. The vocals on this song are some of the best Lane has delivered on this album, shifting seamlessly from a soothing, close-up singing tone in the verses to a powerful belt in the chorus supported by vocal harmonies.
The energy builds up in “10/10 Bleed Out Spot” with a soft acoustic guitar strumming rhythm backed up by a lovely vocal performance. The lyrics focus on the extremes of being vulnerable and exhausted emotionally. The character tells us not about the beauty of the beach like in most songs but rather about the things that he could do there, like cry or bleed out. The song is not glamorizing such thoughts like depression or suicidal thoughts; it’s telling us that, as we are all human, these thoughts will come, but it is what we do about these thoughts is what matters, especially asking for help. Many thanks to the artist for really going there with his subject matter, unafraid to talk about these issues. There is a lot of emotion in Lane’s voice, giving room for slight rasp and vocal breaks that highlight the intensity of the lyrics. The slowed acoustic base provides an intimate environment that turns dramatic pity into an important learning experience.
The feeling of reverence and holiness becomes the focus of attention on “God Amongst The Waves,” with the beginning of the song marked by a minimalistic and airy acoustic performance accompanied by light, atmospheric sounds of strings. The lyrical content of the song touches upon such themes as humility and submission, meaning the willingness to submit to something much bigger than oneself instead of struggling endlessly against the flow. However, the character in the song also admits that he really hurt someone even though he tried to make her happy. The artist employs his gentle voice, sounding almost whispering, which requires full silence from the listeners.
This song brings the album to life from the very first notes of “The Sea!”. It starts with an exuberant harmonica sound and an acoustic strum, accompanied by a wonderful vocal performance. In terms of lyrics, the song is all about embracing unpredictability and freedom of life. The character uses the sea to represent freedom and tells us how he loves to be out on the waves, where anything can happen. Lane encourages the listeners not to look at life’s unpredictability in fear, but to plunge into it headlong. His vocals in this song are energetic, theatrical, and charismatic, complemented by the chorus singing gang vocals.
There is also a slightly darker tone in “The Great Northern Diver,” which features an ominous walking bass line that plays along with light brushed drums and a solitary guitar note. Thematically, the song describes the loneliness of a brave man who, against all odds, will find his way home. This time around, Lane showcases his deep, smoky voice in a moody performance. The soft drumming, atmospheric guitar chords, and groovy bass make for a beautiful and captivating soundscape.
The record ends on an incredibly high note with “Sea of Crowded Faces”, with the track opening up with the soft strums of an acoustic guitar that introduces the melodic strains of his velvety voice. In terms of lyrics, this last track talks about how seeing someone familiar in a crowd immediately puts you at ease. There are several TikTok videos of people filming the smile or the moment when the person they were with, who had left briefly seems them in a sea of people, or a crowd. Like the people in the TikTok videos, our character tells us how he can recognize the face and smile of his partner in any crowd or any sea of people. The way in which Lane’s vocals perform in the closing track is simply superb, starting with a vulnerable whisper and ending with a crescendo of an anthemic performance backed by powerful chords from the piano, dynamic drumming, and incredible vocal harmonies.
For a person of Lane’s remarkable talent to experience a dry spell, Lane didn’t try to push the muse. Instead, he headed back to the source. Revisiting the salt-scented peace of West Coast Ireland, Lane returned to the fishing village where his grandparents had lived, abandoning the clamor of creative pressures for the now lost discipline of silence and listening. The result of Lane’s return wasn’t merely a breakthrough; it was a revelation.
Working from his makeshift studio in a ramshackle old fishing shed, inspiration struck in its purest form. Songs burst out of him with an urgent immediacy that made them seem not so much the product of a carefully constructed composition process, but rather as elusive ghosts begging to be caught before they disappeared into the ether. Though they were originally only meant to be rough demos recorded on the fly and later refined in a more professional studio setting, Lane had the visionary wisdom to leave the magic alone. To over-record these songs would have been a crime.
“Ebb And Flow And The Great Unknown”, an album that eliminates all barriers between the artist and the audience. With nothing holding him back except for the rawness of his voice, the crying sound of his harmonica, and the deep twang of his acoustic guitar, every frequency is uncomfortably close. With his music mixed and mastered using an analog reel-to-reel tape, his album is full of high-wire improvisations—the songs were completed mere moments before being recorded, and at times the lyrics changed in the middle of the performance due to Lane’s surrender to the moment. Lane has always had an uncanny ability, but “Ebb And Flow And The Great Unknown” takes his artistry to a whole new level. Blending the storytelling essence of traditional Irish folk music with the grungy Americana, Lane has crafted a work of art that strikes right at the heart and stays there even when the tape stops. In fact, the theme of the ocean serves as the secret bond that connects the entire project. Thanks to the connection between the writing process of the songs and the rhythms of the sea, in its literal form of the West Coast fishing hut, as well as the metaphorical form of the pull of the tide, Lane provides the record with amazing depth and significance. The theme of uncertainty and change, expressed through maritime topics in folk and Americana music, is a very strong vehicle for conveying emotions. I loved this album so much, and I look forward to hearing exceptional music from this incredible and exceptional artist!
Stream the “Ebb And Flow And The Great Unknown” album on Spotify.
Follow Podge Lane on his socials: Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Bandcamp, YouTube.
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