The aging process creeps up on us all. And there’s a whole lot of that going on across Party Of One, the latest release from Kevin Stonerock—much of which was written during the introspective stillness of the Covid period.
Once again, Stonerock surrounds himself with top-tier talent. Pedal steel legend Ed “Pee Wee Charles” Ringwald (Gordon Lightfoot, Ian Tyson) adds that aching shimmer throughout. Fiddler Shane Guse and vocalist Stacey Lee Guse (of Juno-nominated LACE) offer texture and soul, while Gabriel Stonerock and Derrick Carnes lock things in with taste and restraint. Special mention goes to Abby Carr, whose harmony vocals on three tracks shimmer with warmth. “I heard Abby’s voice at a wedding,” Stonerock says, “and was blown away. Turned out I already knew her.”
The album signposts its themes from the start. “Down Memory Lane” is a nostalgic glance backward, dressed up in a toe-tapping honkytonk suit. It’s immediately followed by “Nothing Dies Slower Than A Dream,” which leans more into a blue-collar Tom Petty strum, keeping the heartland mood intact.
“Down Home Ain’t Down Home Anymore” aches for a past that may or may not have existed in quite such sepia tones, but it’s a gorgeous track all the same. “Summertime” does a similar trick—romanticising long, hot days of youth—but when the songwriting is this good, it’s impossible not to be swept along.
The title track dials up the classic country—no modern rock sheen or slick pop polish here—just a song about the joy of solitude, presented with subtle confidence.
“North Of November” shifts the emotional temperature. “If I ever felt older, I don’t recall,” he sings—an honest, poignant moment offset beautifully by the wry reminiscence of “Anything That Opens the Can.”
“This Old House,” about letting go of the home he grew up in, might just be the emotional keystone of the whole record. Heartfelt and vulnerable, it’s impossible not to be moved.
Elsewhere, “Atlanta in Reverse” is a Friday night barroom shuffle, hiding its pain beneath a boogie beat, while “It Won’t Be Long” slows things down to a gentle lilt. “I Heard I Had A Good Time” brings the party spirit back—tongue firmly in cheek—before the sparse, heartfelt “All Those Years Ago” lands the biggest emotional blow of all. “This song is for you,” he sings, and you know exactly who he means.
Closing track “Sidewinder” injects a final jolt of energy, tipping the hat to classic forms without ever sounding like a pastiche.
Party Of One is an album full of truth, tenderness, and real songwriting. Kevin Stonerock doesn’t just remember the past—he makes you feel it too.
