"Farewell" is the shortest album in the series, but it is perhaps the most provocative in the way it calmly muses, philosophically, on the form that togetherness can take - as it exists and as it dissolves.
I Am the Moon: IV. Farewell, Tedeschi Trucks Band
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I Am the Moon - Farewell coverart
And, while the title pretty much states the theme, the notion of departure is more expansive than you might think. Predictably, sadness is threaded through the mix, but a fair amount of solace and contemplation also attends endings - inevitable and otherwise.
"Farewell" is the shortest album in the series, but it is perhaps the most provocative in the way it calmly muses, philosophically, on the form that togetherness can take - as it exists and as it dissolves.
The opening track, "Last Night in the Rain," is a rather straightforward bit of break-up angst, though smartly (and somewhat Beatle-y) arranged to showcase the musical breadth of the 12-piece TTB.
But the mood shifts on "Soul Sweet Song," a jubilant number driven by Gabe Dixon's piano lines. In a general sense, the song is about the way those who have died never really leave us in spirit, Specifically, it is a song is about Kofi Burbridge, the brilliant keyboard player who played in Derek Trucks' solo band before helping launch TTB in 2010 with Trucks and Susan Tedeschi. Burbridge died in 2019 while recovering from an illness. "Soul Sweet Song" is about where the grief ultimately led: memories of Burbridge will always serve as a harbor of joy.
The band evokes a similar vibe with "I Can Feel You Smiling" but, led by Trucks' acoustic guitar, leans into a gentler sound.
Of course, great loss does not always lead to a positive conclusion. A truth that TTB's Mike Mattison underlines in a song he wrote and sings, "Where are My Friends." Throughout the four-disc I Am the Moon series, Mattison could be counted on to produce the songs that counter their companions on a given disc. "Where Are My Friends" is a haunting tune that digs into the idea of how much of our loneliness is self-inflicted. Mattison's writing here strongly draws on ideas and imagery from "The Story of Layla and Majnun," Nizami's epic poem about lovers who are pulled apart and then become victims of madness and angst during the separation. Mattison suggested that the members of TTB use the 12th century literary classic as inspiration in a group read during the pandemic lockdown. Songwriting sessions fueled by the passions of the verse soon followed.
I Am the Moon was never designed to be a straight interpretation or retelling of "Layla and Majnun." Over the months that the project has been put together some of the songs were spurred by other incentives, from Tedeschi's feelings about her and Trucks' oldest child heading off to college to the troupe's memories of Burbridge.
TTB had started teasing out some of these songs during the "Fireside" concerts it streamed in early 2021 when the band was unable to go on tour. That suggests that some of the music was inspired by the separation (and close-quarters togetherness) experienced during the pandemic.
In a recent interview, Trucks spoke about his attraction to the music of Malagasy guitarist D'Gary. That explains where "D'Gary" on "Farewell" got its name and the recognizably African influence on Trucks' guitar parts in the song.
Just as "Layla and Majnun" does not end happily, TTB likewise did not conclude this artistic triumph with a bit of fist-pumping. Rather, the group stayed true to its artistic intent, dramatizing the complex (and conflicting) emotional impact of being in love: chasing it and losing it. "Another Day" is by no means a bummer but, amid the hopefulness that runs through Tedeschi's vocal delivery, she reminds us in the lyric that "There's a handful of heartaches/ And they're coming for us all."
The band has released I Am the Moon in small batches, airing each set of songs first on YouTube with accompanying films produced by Alix Lambert. "Farewell" gets that treatment on Tuesday Aug. 23, and then the audio hits stores and streaming sites on Aug. 28.
This incremental approach to releasing 24 new songs has encouraged reflection on what the group set out to accomplish. On the surface, I Am the Moon is a compelling sonic journey. Dig a little deeper and you sense how this ambitious project reflects the band's fresh creative dynamic, how a rock 'n' blues, guitar-amped combo can fuse energy and artistry.
