Sadler Vaden – Dad Rock

My introduction to Sadler Vaden was seeing him live as part of Jason Isbell and The 400 Unit. At one point during the show, Isbell turned over frontman duties to Vaden to perform “Honeysuckle Blue” from Vaden’s old band, Drivin N Cryin (the song is also on Jason Isbell and The 400 Unit’s Georgia Blue album). Vaden’s performance blew me away. This was not just a guitar gunslinger for hire but a special ingredient in Isbell’s band (Sadler has been with Isbell since 2013).

The next time Sadler appeared in my consciousness was when I noticed that he produced Morgan Wade’s major label debut, Reckless (2021). My streaming service’s (Tidal) algorithm recently suggested Vaden’s latest solo album, 2024’s Dad Rock. I gave it one listen and was immediately impressed.

Dad Rock is a stew of 70s classic rock vibes. I hear Joe Walsh (his big riff guitar, not his cartoonish vocals), Big Star, The Stones, Pink Floyd, etc., but also some contemporary sounds, like Spoon.

Dad Rock was produced by Sadler Vaden, engineered by Owen Lewis and Bobby Holland, mixed by Lewis, and mastered by Richard Dodd. Most of the album is original songs written by Vaden (“Dove” was co-written with Joel Hamilton, and “Staying Alive” is a cover of a The Whigs’ song). Musicians include Vaden (vocals, guitars, keys), Fred Eltringham (drums), Julian Dorio (drums), Timothy Deaux (bass), Dominic Davis (bass), Elliot Easton of The Cars (lead, 12-string and acoustic guitars), Benmont Tench from Tom Petty’s band (piano, organ), Art Edmaiston (tenor saxophone), Kirk Smothers (baritone saxophone) and Marc Franklin (trumpet, horn arrangement).

Side A opens with “Townsend’s Theme,” an instrumental named after Sadler’s young son. It has a nice Pink Floyd vibe. “Dove” has an epic arena rock feel and reminds me of Secret Machines (a mid-00s alt-rock band). “The New You” is acoustic-forward folk rock with a wink to Big Star. “Staying Alive” opens with Joe Walsh-like power cords and alternates with twangy power pop.

Side B opens with “Holes,” which sounds like an Americana version of Spoon. “The Rescuer” has Stones swagger, including a Stones-sounding horn section. This is my favorite track on the album. “I’ll Always Come Back” has a Jayhawks vibe. “Two Balloons” is a gorgeous nod to the sound of Big Star.

I love great guitarists who know how to draw attention to the song rather than being the guitar hero. Sadler Vaden is one of those guitarists. This album will likely fly under the radar but deserves more attention.