CR and The Nones - The Ghosts Are Coming Home
New Jersey band CR and The Nones present the single 'The Ghosts Are Coming Home', previewing their second album by the same name and, to be released via Montclair-based Magic Door Record Label. This follows the first single from this record 'The Long Game'.
Self-produced by Chris Gennone (CR to his friends), this album was mixed by renowned producer Ray Ketchem (Guided By Voices, Luna, Versus, Elk City, Gramercy Arms) at Magic Door Recording Studio in Montclair, NJ and mastered by Nick Bolton at Bolton Sound in Jersey City.
Gennone came of age playing in a variety of different projects in suburban New Jersey, including his former band, CR and The Degenerates, who released five albums from 2016 to 2018. This new project has allowed him to expand the unique hybrid of folk, country, punk, and heartland rock. CR and The Nones retains the Degenerates' core of Chris Gennone, lead/slide guitarist Jim Abbott, and bassist John Dewitt.
Recalling past Garden State guitar music, Gennone’s soulful vocals and his band’s driving hooks invoke roads, journeys, and forward motion in general. Counting Neil Young and Jason Molina among major influences, his sound has always been propulsive. In 2020, CR and The Nones released their debut album 'Living In Fear' via Favorite Friend Records.
'The Ghosts Are Coming Home' is a culmination of the sound and aesthetic that CR Gennone has been building over many years and multiple bands. With an expansiveness and introspection that recalls The War on Drugs or early My Morning Jacket, the ten tracks here showcase an irresistible sincerity and heartfelt delivery.
"This is the oldest song on the record. I wrote it while I was recording 'Living in Fear', but it's gone through a variety of different arrangements. The vibe just didn't really fit with the rest of the songs and it felt like a good direction to go in for the next album," says CR Gennone.
"It's probably one of the most visual songs I've written. I was driving in my car and the lyrics and title came really fast, all at once. I had to pull over and put it in my phone. I had this overwhelming feeling at that moment in my life, that the chickens had come to roost. The ghosts are coming home."
Like many artists, the pandemic and resultant free time allowed Gennone to be more thoughtful, and purposive in his songwriting for this album. Being forced out of his normal songwriting process and comfort zone opened Gennone to new influences, and his resulting growth as a songwriter is evident. While friends from the NYC and NJ music scenes contributed ideas and sounds, some influences are not as obvious. Gennone recalls listening to Brian Eno non-stop while recording 'Ghosts', and the synth sounds and ambient textures that underpin much of the album are certainly a testament to that.
