Gary Pratt has the kind of origins you see reserved for a movie. Growing up in Slickville, Pennsylvania in a small coal-mining town, he was a frontman for many bands in Pittsburgh before switching lanes and turning to the Nashville Country music scene. The rest you could say is history. Two albums under his belt and now he’s returned with his third, the wonderful Something Worth Remembering. An album dedicated to his late brother, this record feels as good as some homemade cooking, filled with memories and joy as Pratt takes us almost through the journey of his life.
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Beginning with the happiest and nervous teenage memories all the way through love, loss, finding his identity as a country type and country musician, to even a beautiful ballad about being a fan of someone who you want to see succeed. It would be impossible to not see all of this connected to Pratt’s life and though it is very personal clearly, there’s this feeling of a “universal truth” of sorts. There’s plenty of talent behind the scenes with producer Bryan Cole, Grammy nominee Tony Arata who wrote the title track and Pratt worked alongside Savannah Nider for the track “To Find Us” and future collaboration is currently being spoken of and when you hear them together, it’ll make perfect sense why they plan of working together further. Music is very clearly something that Pratt loves with all his heart as you can hear every bit of himself that he’s put into this project.
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Now to be fair, this album isn’t perfect because what album truly is? It’s a little on the long side and the two tracks that are primarily about living the true Country life are a little redundant, one having a more jovial side with a sense of humor and one a bit more serious. They’re both good songs on their own, but for the sake of brevity, I think it would have been more beneficial if he cut one and maybe released it later as a single. Beyond that slight criticism, there’s not much else to really complain about. Each song is distinctly its own, and it bounces around from light, humor, love, anguish, and ends in a heart-stirring way, in some ways leaving the best for last with the incredible finale, Something Worth Remembering which acts as an amazing ending that will stay with you long after you’ve heard it. Pratt is a real talent and he should be supported thoroughly.
I highly recommend going back and listening to some of his earlier work just so you can get a sense of the growth he’s shown. Pratt is very grateful for the role music has played in his life and he doesn’t let his gifts go to waste. Earlier I compared this to homemade cooking and if anything, it’s comfort food. Hearty, made with love, and just the thing you need after a very long day. I give this new album an 8/10, highly recommended.
Jodi Marxbury