Review: Richard Inman, Faded Love Better Days

Richard Inman’s Faded Love Better Days is littered with empty beer cans, worn out cars, and love letters with return to sender stickers affixed to them. Inman present them like show and tell, pairing them with vivid stories that have been shaped by constantly being on the road and having a broken heart.

On the standout trio of songs Thanksgiving Day, Raining in December, and New Years Blues, Inman recounts a trip home for the holidays, bitter from the taste of burnt gravy, and reflects on both familial and romantic love. On the latter track, the Winnipeg singer-songwriter summarizes much of what he sings about across his third LP when he wryly sings, “Gonna drink about you.”

Faded Love Better Days fits easily alongside the timeless releases of contemporary artists like John Moreland, and Zachary Lucky, who co-wrote the tender tune Raining in December. The album’s warm instrumentation is straightforward, ranging between full, rollicking tracks and quiet ballads, and features a familiar blend of twangy guitars, fiddle, pedal steel, banjo, piano, and harmonica. What helps Inman’s stories really shine is his gruff and captivating voice which makes it easy to hold onto every word. And we do. 

Faded Love Better Days was released May 1, 2020
Listen to it here