The Gougers are steadfastly and solidly led by Shane Walker and Jamie Wilson. Walker pens six of the eleven tracks on A Long Day for the Weather Vane solo, co-writes three with Wilson, and Wilson contributes two solo efforts. These two artists combine to write and perform beautiful music that is eerily reminiscent of Gram and Emmylou at their peak. The Gougers have a sound that is steeped in traditional folk and country music, yet they manage to stamp their own modern spin on things. Keith Gattis lends his mystical producing touches and musicianship to round the album out with a striking stylistic flare.




The album kicks off with “Manheim Station”, a grooving Walker-led vocal, that’s an allegory on life based at an old-time filling station. This tune reminds me of Slaid Cleaves best work…a gritty landscape of life tale told in a straightforward folk manner. And, even after multiple listens, you still aren’t sure you’ve found all the hidden meanings. The co-written “Everybody Knows” tells the sad story of a family that must sell their land just to keep up in the game of life. The bouncing melody and music belie the seriousness of the subject matter. It’s a very catchy song that subconsciously sends you a message without hitting you over the head.

“Riding In a Lincoln Continental with Sylvia Plath” may be the coolest song title I’ve ever come across. The song is as cool as the title, and it caught me as something Pink Floyd would have made if they made country music and co-wrote with Todd Snider. A whimsical musical affront, led by a happy harmonica, is joined by Walker’s effective lead vocal and Wilson’s magical backing vocals to create musical utopia. Wilson takes lead vocals on one of her self-penned tunes, a love lost malady, called “Michael”, and in the process showcases an emotional depth seen rarely in today’s music.

“Sleeping Pills” is one of my favorite tracks on this record. It is a spiritual journey and examination of life, as is much of this album. Walker and Wilson display a knack with each song to point out the hypocrisies and silliness we all endure in our daily rituals. “John Henry” builds to a rumbling backbeat amid snarky lyrics about money being evil as men chase “barroom girls and fifty-dollar sin.” “Baby” is recorded, produced and presented as a throwback to country music’s golden days complete with an aw-shucks radio announcer and a gather-round-the mic acoustic jam.



There is a definite throw-back, retro vibe to The Gougers and their music. It is invigorating to hear a band crank out solid, country jams with such assuredness and ability. Along with Jason Eady & The Wayward Apostles, The Gougers are leading a wave of young, vibrant country musicians who have a sense of what was cool in yesteryear and what is cool now. A Long Day for the Weather Vane, firmly establishes that it’s going to be a long career for the Gougers in music.