Philadelphia’s Tim Showalter began his musical journey in standard singer-songwriter mode—a heartsick fella and his trusty guitar—even if his lyricism largely avoided the confessional style typically associated with that setup. (One early song, “Daniel’s Blues,” envisioned a forlorn Dan Aykroyd taking revenge on John Belushi’s dope dealer.) Five albums in, his Strand of Oaks project has evolved into a full-on rock and roll band, as heard on this year’s lavish Hard Love LP. Conversely, Showalter’s writing has become more personal; on the new album’s final track, “Taking Acid and Talking to My Brother,” he details a harrowing night spent in the hospital with his ailing sibling.
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