You don’t need a map to discover the spirit of Americana; all you have to do sometimes is pick up a guitar, have a worn-out voice, and tell a good story. With “Louder,” Pete Keating, a singer-songwriter from the Pacific Northwest, gives all these elements, together with The Renslow Trestle, a group which seems as though it had come straight out of an old record collection and had then settled comfortably into the present day. Drawing on the Carter Family, Ramblin’ Jack Elliott, Etta James, and even Jeff Lynne, Keating combines folk, blues, jazz, and roots music to create something that is warm, vibrant, and clearly human.
Starting on a beautiful note, Keating’s singing suits the overall atmosphere perfectly. He has a natural, authentic vibe that makes the lines genuine rather than overworked to lose their individuality. His phrasing has a relaxed, conversational quality, there is a certain toughness beneath the surface, especially when the song reaches the lines “take it farther and play it harder, and say it louder… than before”. This repeated progression provides the emotional uplift, and the band contributes to turning the chorus into something ideal for tapping feet, having one’s voice raised, and a large number of people singing along.
Lyrically, “Louder” is importantly a song about not shrinking back when life becomes difficult. The message it carries is simple yet by no means trivial: carry on, keep creating, and continue to speak up. The lines “Don’t let em bring you down. Don’t let em push you around” form the song’s strong core, while lines such as “dance out in the rain all through town. And track a little mud on the floor” add a touch of playfulness. The song was inspired by an older musician who lives with Multiple Sclerosis and won’t give up his guitar, and so it turns resilience into something joyful rather than serious. Instead of being a lecture, it acts more like a friendly push from someone saying, “Come on, we’re not finished yet.”
“Louder” gains greatly from its live approach when it comes to production. The song was recorded at London Bridge Studios in Seattle by Eric Lilavois, with the acoustic guitar and the vocals being recorded together so as to maintain the natural phrasing of Keating’s performance. The outcome should not sound like a carefully produced studio item but rather like a band in the process of making music. The instrumentation reinforces this quality through a grounded rhythm, a down-to-earth guitar sound, and a relaxed sense of movement which allows the song to breathe. It has a sound that was designed for people rather than for perfection.
What’s admirable about “Louder” is that its optimism doesn’t come across as artificial or overdone. Keating is aware that we do end up a little grayer, that critics can become boring, and that life generally continues to ask us to give it a bit more effort. His solution is straightforward: just carry on, keep laughing, carry on playing, and be good to one another. This attitude is evident in Pete Keating and The Renslow Trestle, much like an old folk song given a fresh pair of boots. “Louder” is a song that causes a smile to spread across our faces, gives us a bit of rhythm in our feet, and if we’re lucky, makes us want to turn the volume up a little more.
Listen to “Louder” on Spotify
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