Yes, things are bad these days. While it’s easy to feel overwhelmed by the unending tide of awful news, the folks who speak out against despair and inequality can help raise the spirits. Chris Pierce is one. More than two decades into a career grounded in plainspoken folk-pop, this California troubadour continues to champion social justice and the need for empathy in daily life. A balm for troubled times, Songs for the Heavy Hearted is a clear-eyed affirmation of optimism and decency in the face of sorrow and brutality.
This compelling collection highlights Pierce’s expressive everyman singing, a powerful mixture of weariness and resilience. Although the arrangements are simple, the crack band — including Stella Mozgawa (drums), Gabe Witcher (fiddle), and Phil Parlapiano (accordion, keyboards) — shines in the background without getting in the way of Pierce’s earthy acoustic guitar and harmonica.
Songs for the Heavy Hearted opens with the soothing “This Sunlit Morning,” a dusty shuffle reminiscent of Neil Young in folksy mode, celebrating life’s small pleasures. When Pierce sings, “Coffee’s whistlin’ on the burner / And Stevie’s on the stereo / She’s smiling ‘cross the table,” it’s hard not to feel good.
