About Me
Walt Cronin collaborated with his former, fellow songwriter, on their debut CD "The Gousters" in 2005. It remained in the top 50 alternative country category on Roots Music Report for 60 weeks. Walt is a former Navy corpsman (medic) that served with a Marine platoon in Vietnam in 1970. His songs are memoirs of the heartache of war and it's aftermath with a beautiful love ballad thrown into the mix. Staying true to the folk history of societal woes with some bright new tunes finish off this eclectic blend of strong lyrical content and melodies.
Since the release of their debut album ‘The Gousters” in 2005, Walt Cronin has continued to compose, on his own. This CD written and sung by Cronin has many of the elements of the first CD. “ It is definitely in the folk Americana tradition,” says Marty Beal, the producer and arranger of Walt’s CD from the Racketroom in Santa Ana, CA where all the recordings took place.
Marty wore many hats in this musical composition playing most of the instruments all the while, enhancing Walt’s creative style with musical expertise. Walt, the singer / songwriter on this, his self-titled CD has brought to light his own heartfelt melodies which are the result of many influences from sixties musings with a contemporary folk rock feel.
Review By Bebe Ashcroft
Quote: "Tender and introspective songs with the kind of realness and authenticity that is becoming quite rare."
An engaging collection of folk rock tunes, Walt Cronin's The Gousters is a homespun and charming effort. Warm,
earthy sounds envelope the listener as Cronin delivers work that is solidly written with a compelling sincerity. Many of these songs are about war, often sounding like the contemporary answer to the folk protest songs of 1960s artists like Pete Seeger.
Penned by Vietnam veteran Cronin in relation to his personal experiences, the themes of his music still resonate in today's world. "Flowers In Her Hand" is the story of a young war widow, while "The Rift" narrates Cronin's own inner struggles dealing with his experiences as a Navy Corpsman. Regardless of the listener's personal views, we all acknowledge the human sacrifice that war entails. While there are obviously political themes on here, for the most part these are intimate, personal recollections based on his own life.
The sweet, almost naive sensibilities of the music is juxtaposed to the stories Cronin tells about the aftermath of war; this sad contrast evokes a feeling of innocence lost. But Cronin's underlying optimism and hope is a thread throughout the album – and this is ultimately a story of healing, and of love prevailing. And love does prevail: "You Are The Light" is a gentle, romantic ballad that ends the album on an uplifting note.
These are tender and introspective songs with the kind of realness and authenticity that is becoming quite rare. Cronin shows his craftsmanship for twangy, down-home rock on cuts such as "Like A Day Like Today" and "The Rift," my two favorite cuts from this record. Cronin has a lot of stories to tell, and I will look forward to hearing more of them in the future.
