Midnight Miles and Unpacked Ghosts: Water Street's 'Passenger Side'

There's an hour after midnight where all you hear is your thoughts; the road is quiet. The beer has worn off and the only sound you can hear is the static from the radio and the tires rolling on the concrete that remembers when it was laid. That is where Water Street wrote Passenger Side; that is where it works best.

Water Street, a six-piece band from New Jersey, typically works with more texture than volume, featuring a warm jazz sound, a folk feeling of restraint, and an Americana summary. In this case, Water Street constricts the framing of their sound. The beginning of the song is much like a drive home late at night after a show, when you are strumming softly and holding your breath and watching the ash fall out of the cigarette and onto the floor of the car. Dave Paulson, lead singer, is not looking to find catharsis; he is simply sitting there with it. All of the emotional baggage he has been carrying for years has finally been unpacked in a deliberate way, rather than in a dramatic way.

Passenger Side is the Hero's Journey reversed. There is no big leap; rather, "the" realization occurs at the present time. The shift in Passenger Side occurs quietly: you do not grow unless you make room for yourself to grow. Musically, the band mirrors that truth. The upright bass provides the foundation for the song; the keys and drums wait until the upright bass is established, before they provide lift to the song. A banjo is utilized only sparsely and almost reluctantly, but adds a spark of joy to the song without taking over the driving of the song.

Passenger Side was recorded in West Philadelphia at Little Brother Audio and has an authentic, lived-in feel. It sticks with you, just like the headlights shining in your rearview mirror. Or like the empty seat next to you that has just been cleared away.