I was first introduced to Slaid Cleaves by one of my closest friends during freshman year of high school. His father was a huge folk music fan and always had a ton of new and interesting records from lesser known artists lying around the house and would always share them with a smile on his face and a passion that was infectious. Broke Down was one of those records that immediately gripped me in his collection, an album filled with rich and inspired storytelling and a no-frills production that felt like you were sitting in the smoke-filled haze of The Horseshoe Lounge listening to the band play 5 feet in front of you. It’s an intimate album that drew me in from the second I heard the heartbreaking “Lydia” play over those speakers for the first time.
This album will always hold a special place in heart for that reason– it reminds me of the thrill of discovering something new, both in terms of friendship and music, and has remained one of my consistent go-to’s for 25 years.
Standout Songs: “Horseshoe Lounge”, “One Good Year”, “Breakfast in Hell”, “Lydia”
