Bevan looks at hard times on introspective album

By John Benson

entertainment@vindy.com

When troubadour Alex Bevan decided to write his 19th studio album, the Northeast Ohio native felt inspired by the troubled times that plague not only the financial aspects of the Buckeye State but also the personal crises that affected his baby-boomer friends. The result is “Fly Away,” a nine-song affair that takes Bevan fans back to the beginning of his career.

“There are a couple of different hats I wear musically,” said Bevan, a North Madison resident. “There’s certainly the ‘Skinny Little Boy’ and ‘Let’s have fun at a bar’ hat. There’s the cap I wear at the Boathouse on Put-in-Bay. I’ve had my educator’s cap on writing educational music for the environmental-education center over at Cuyahoga Valley National Park. But what I’m doing is setting that aside and letting the songwriter come along.

“I’m hoping and finding there’s a place where people want something a little different to chew on, something that’s more complex. It’s fascinating to me. I’m not stepping back from anything. If anything, I’m turning up the fire here. I really want to explore this low-tech and proud genre and saying, ‘Here’s the songs; embrace the songs.’”

Bevan is best known for his acoustic “Springboard” and “Grand River Lullaby” albums, which forged a seamless marriage of the local topography, youthful wonder and civic pride. For “Fly Away,” Bevan returned to Painesville Suma Recording. Among his favorite new tracks are the uplifting “Mississippi Medicine” and “Road to Montreal,” the tender “The One Who’s Gone” and the folk-blues “Cages.” There’s also the poignant “Love Lifts” and the pick-me-up title track.

“‘Fly Away’ was written in a time of turbulence,” Bevan said. “Not only the economic times of turbulence but friends of mine going through things. I was trying to explain my feelings, their feelings and give a lifeline and offer hope. All the songs were written out of inspiration and written with that feeling of ‘Grand River,’ where it wasn’t me trying to do something that was written for, say, the Islands, or had a specific purpose. These were all very intimate songs, so I set aside my foot pedals and stripped it all down. This is a very handmade album.”

Already, fans are painting the new material in the same vibe as Bevan song gems such as “Grand River Lullaby” and “Carry Come Smiling.” Even though it may be easy to characterize “Fly Away” as a bookend to Bevan’s career — returning him to his folk roots — the 60-year-old feels he has plenty of music left in him for years to come. Still, what’s the legacy of Alex Bevan?

“I hope when they think about their memories that there’s a smile there,” Bevan said. “When they see it in the present, I hope they say, ‘I wonder what he’s got and where he’s going now? It’s always been interesting before, but what’s coming next?’ So for the here and now, I hope they listen to the songs and, hopefully, those songs speak to them.”