Music News: Promised Land from Cory Driscoll

Music News
Music News: Promised Land from Cory Driscoll

February 15, 2022/
Al Geiner/
Music News /

Promised Land is the third single from the forthcoming full-length release from Cory Driscoll. Although this nine-track collection of songs is still awaiting its March 18 release, we now have three official singles from it.

As an offering so deep into a release, it is striking that a track could be so aptly fitting to tie together the other tracks and define Cory Driscoll as a serious artist with the potential to solidify his place into the echelon of Americana folk music. With a nostalgic sound reminiscent of early sixties rock, which was also heavily influenced by the folk movement, Cory Driscoll seems to be able to channel this while coupling a progressive rock element similar to the seventies run of epic long tracks which dive into many concepts of sand metaphors for the theme. Promised Land is divided into three sections – an up-tempo swing to open, an acapella bridge section, then an off-time mid-tempo recapitulation which is almost an entirely different track on its own.

These three sections may be individual singles, yet Cory Driscoll manages to tie these sections together and make a cohesive and entertaining single that keeps the audience guessing. The recurring resolution lyric of “Chosen, I want to be chosen, Like the Promised Land” casts the imagery this narrative poses of a trek into the wilderness to find meaning and redemption. A romantic journey of possibilities and relationships. All of these concepts surround a town in Arkansas – Eureka Springs, which becomes the backdrop for this concept album to be released very soon.

Promised Land delivers a catchy melody, driven primarily from an acoustic guitar swing, while the other guitars feature a catchy harmony to the vocals, which are also doubled to give this track a full sound. The modern recording techniques employed here offer contrast to the nostalgia we get from the tempo and pace of the track, a very major scale feel with bright, crisp overtones which carry out over the main groove.

At first, listen, I believe this track may have been released forty years ago, yet with the repeated experiences, the subtle nuances pay tribute to these modern tricks as the vibe is clearly contemporary and fresh. They say all things old are new again, and I would have believed that at first, but Promised Land really does offer more than a retelling of a classic tune, it is new and modern, and I really like it. Promised Land would serve perfectly to classic rock, soft rock, middle of the road, and adult contemporary commercial radio playlists as the progressive elements are sure to appeal to a vast array of listeners and satisfy that urge to call up a very old friend.