The Red Clay Strays are making it clear that we’re all ‘Made By These Moments’

We’ve got a good few months left, but it’s almost guaranteed that Made By These Moments will be near the top of a lot of ‘Best of 2024’ album lists.

The Red Clay Strays have been around for a while but have only recently gathered some serious attention. A viral hit seemingly threw them into the spotlight, but the group has always unapologetically and confidently known what it was trying to be. Although I wouldn’t say it was needed, Made By These Moments solidifies the Alabama band’s place in the “current greats of country”. This album might not have a TikTok hit like ‘Wondering Why’, and whilst that is one good song, something about this collection feels a lot more honest and a lot more longstanding.

The group of soulful southern country-rockers is fronted by Brandon Coleman, an old school rock n’ roll personality with a once in a generation voice, or maybe one that sounds like it’s from another generation. And whilst Coleman’s vocals might keep the group tied together, this band is full of phenomenal musicians - it’s no easy feat competing against his astounding unique yet familiar voice, but they live up to it and more. To capture all this talent in one album, they figured out a mix of moving and neatly succinct songwriting, largely from Coleman’s brother Matthew, and production from Dave Cobb doing what Dave Cobb does best.

The rhythmic chorus on ‘No One Else Like Me’ is an example of perfect catchy-whilst-still-saying-something songwriting. The frantic energy of ‘Ramblin’ offering some kind of lyrical lightness half way through the album works. The harmonica on ‘God Does’ - yes please, thank you very much. ‘I’m Still Fine’ hits close to home. The abundance of guitar is never too rambling, never too much and never too self-indulgent - this band is tight as hell.

Made By These Moments is southern, it’s proud of its Alabama identity and that’s undeniably heard in the sound. Southern rock’s charm is that it blends genres in a way not much else can and The Red Clay Strays are staying true to that, their overall sound is difficult to label, other than ‘it’s southern’. Like The Allman Brothers or The Marshall Tucker Band, they’ve got that kind of rock/blues/country/gospel versatility that the South does so well. It has a Sun Record’s era Elvis sound (especially in their live performances, Brandon Coleman seems to channel some kind of Elvis spirituality). It has a hot Sunday morning in a deep south church gospel sound too. Its southern roots run deep, and those roots set pretty deep in the listener.

Living up to its name, the album reminds the listener that there are ‘joys and trials as you walk down every mile’ and good or bad, these moments are what makes us human. There’s an organised chaos across the emotions on these tracks that feels authentically and messily human - it’s both a recognition and an acceptance of the bad with the idea that there’s a purpose to bad times, that it can be the heartache that the heart needs to feel the good times more deeply. Whether it’s found in religion, people, yourself, nature or a damn good album, holding onto faith in something can keep you afloat.

Lyrically, there are some heavy themes of mental health struggles and the helplessness that depression and anxiety can bring - it’s not shied away from, some of the lyrics are as in-your-face as the guitar solos but they also don’t weigh you down. There are enough moments of faith throughout the tracks to balance that battle of emotions. The loneliness of ‘Wanna Be Loved’ is determinedly counteracted with the self-love of ‘No One Like Me’. The heartfelt pain of ‘Drowning’ is equally balanced by recognising salvation on ‘I’m Still Fine’.

There is a distinct thread of religion and spirituality woven throughout the lyrics, with Coleman soulfully recognising finding salvation in his faith. There are some clever nods to the theme sound-wise too, with ‘On My Knees’ taking the listener to a revival tent through its hand clapping, and worship-like lyrics - thankfully without a gospel choir backing, I think that would’ve been a little too predictable. A few of the tracks could be labelled as gospel, but it’s not until ‘On My Knees’ and ‘God Does’ that the band seems to solidify their religious faith. I wouldn’t say it’s Christian rock though, the overarching themes of struggle and acceptance are too universal.

Despite it’s dark and heavy themes, the album isn’t depressing, it’s not preachy, it’s not cliché and it’s not unrealistic. There’s a relatability in these lyrics that will reach out and touch anyone that might have struggled with their mental health. It’s not a pat-on-the-back kind of reassurance, there’s no pitying looks or uncomfortable conversations, it’s just an understanding and reminder that as hard as it gets, there will be moments of hope, wherever you find them.

As far as trends in the country world go, I wouldn’t mind seeing this southern rock one spread, but if it does it’ll be tough for anyone to compete with The Red Clay Strays. Every so often you hear an album that sounds like each member of the band gave everything they possibly had to it, Made By These Moments is one of those.

“I’ve been hanging on and hoping that nothing’s ever broken, we’re all made by these moments”