Sean Webster – Summer Is Gone
M2-Music
9 Tracks – 39 minutes
British born Sean Webster cites the usual influences of the three kings, B.B. Albert, and Freddie, as well as Robert Cray and Buddy Guy, and Gary Moore as musicians he was exposed to while he was young and set him on his path to perform blues. But further says that the primary reason he focused on the guitar was Eric Clapton’s guitar work. He took that direction and developed a passion for the guitar and a dedication to blues rock. This is his sixth album release. His music has led him on many tours of the US and Europe.
Sean is listed as playing guitar, strings and vocals. Sean has a warm, slightly raspy but passionate voice well suited for the soul blues songs he presents here. The rest of his band includes Floris Poesse on bass and upright bass, Phil Wilson on drums, Axel Zwinselman – keyboards and piano, and Jim Zwinselman on pedal steel and slide guitar.
The album opens with “Forever Gone Away”, a declaration of his love for his wife and a consideration of trading his past life for a life for them together. He sings, ” Living the dream we live takes all that I have to give, I know it’s the same for you”. “Won’t Lay Down” follows some of that same theme as he states, “Well I won’t lay down til my head is buried in the ground” as he cannot give up his “restless heart”. And in a continuing story, the third song, ” Can’t be Alone”, finds the couple separating as he notes that “I’m still in love with you” but cries “You’d always try but, in your heart, you knew, it’s over now”.
The theme of lost love continues with “Lost and Alone” as he notes “You don’t want me, but you don’t want let me go”. Hilde Vos provides a duet as she expresses the same hurt back to him and they come together in a beautiful duet declaring to each other “I can’t help you now, I won’t stand around being taken for a fool”. on “Make It Through” he is struggling to deal with the breakup noting that “you always said if we fail, we just move on, but moving on is the hardest thing I’ve done”. The breakup continues with “Never Let Go” as he proclaims “This is my heart, this is my soul, was I such a fool, to think you’d never let me go. Watching us fade, wiping your tears, waiting for time, to mend these broken years of mine”.
With “Not You and Me” he says, “I’ve been sitting up all night thinking, could I have made you stay. I wrote the book and I know how the story ends, with you walking away.” “Baby you’re still gone, but I’m moving on, I gotta move on.” The title song, “Summer Has Gone”, expresses remorse and perhaps holding out some hope for the future as he states, “You came into my life, pulled me from the shadows of the night.” and begs her to “stay with me forever, as summer fades away”. Jim’s pedal steel rings out giving a slight country feel to a rousing finish as Sean concludes the album with “What You Get” and offers “If you stay with me, you gotta see, this love is real”.
The album runs the gamut from the beginning of a promise of a love forever, moving through the realities of his life choices on their relationship, the pain of a breakup with some recognition that both still love each other but are trying to adjust to the separation, and to the conclusion of some hope of reconciliation. Sean’s vocals clearly emote the love or pain that he feels through each song. The instrumental choices also reflect the emotion of the performances. Each song can probably stand on its own, some more than others, but it is the overall story that is told that makes the album work.
