A delectable mixture of blues and Americana, Jason Heeter’s jovial and light-hearted summery record “Staring at the Sun” is the definition of peaceful and soothing music to cure your stress buds in no time. Each track feels like an antidote to anxiety, bringing to life an energy that’s innately relaxing and endearing, a warmth that’s hard to ignore. Heeter has an openness to himself, a natural energy that’s complemented by tasteful plucking of the guitar and a spritely vocal performance matched with a certain gruffness in his voice. It feels powerfully Americana, wholeheartedly echoing the ethos of the genre from back to front.
The record flows song by song into each other perfectly seamlessly, almost like the entire record from back to front just like a single long piece of Americana that’s soothing for the soul. “I Know You Rider” becomes the perfect wrap up piece to the record, a slow moving ballad that puts everything in its place after the fact. At seven minutes long, it’s my personal highlight on the entire record and perhaps one of the most powerful pieces of Americana I’ve had the pleasure of hearing all year long. It’s in the moments where his vocals are allowed to take over, I wish I was a headlight on a northbound train, in particular standing out as such a powerful and resonant line that stays with you long after the song ends.
From front to back, this EP just speaks to you in a way that few do. It’s deep, it’s resonant, it’s plaintive, it’s powerful, it’s emotive, it’s soothing. Above all though, there’s a homeliness and warmth that invites you in with such poignancy.