Adam Strelow – Gone To Stay – Album Review | The Ark of Music – The best music in the world…you never knew existed.

Winona, MN seems to have an endless pool of musical talent. Performing since the 6th grade, Adam Strelow has been swimming in those waters for some time now…and rightfully so.

Though he spent much of that time playing with different bands, Adam now finds himself flying solo. It seems somehow fitting then, that after all those years of making music with others, his first official album, Gone To Stay, bares only his name.

Which isn’t to suggest that he made the album alone. With help from his musician friends, Justin Bell, Jessica Ingvalson, and Jamie Groth, the result is a classic sounding acoustic and electric rock album (with strong country threads) that is raw in its content, and refined in its production. (I.E., it’s win/win for you and I.)

The project’s second track, Tilt the Sun Towards Me, is a song of sweet desperation. Everyone has a breaking point. Luckily, when Strelow hit his, this song came out. Tilt’s sweet harmonies beg you to sing along… “Oh lord won’t you please, tilt the sun towards me”.

By the time Anna Lee cues up, it becomes clear: Strelow has endured his share of heartache. Here’s what we love about that…he’s not hiding from it. In fact, any excessive pride he may have once had has now clearly been checked at the door. He’s not afraid of the choices he’s made, and he’s not afraid to let you know about it…

“I drank a little too much last night
pissed the old lady off again
I just can’t seem to get right
I’m just a fool that never learned to win“

Rolling harmonica, a lovely bass-line, and classic organ make I Saw You With Him a nostalgic number. If you’ve ever stumbled upon a lover in the arms of someone else, those memories will stir…

“I ain’t got the time
to sift through your lies and your truths
And I ain’t got the time
I ain’t got no time for you
You can take all our memories
and just give them to him
Cause baby it turns out
I ain’t got no use for them“

Gone to Stay, is rightfully the album’s title track. In this blueprint for a great radio road-tune, Strelow’s heartache has turned into focus and resiliency. In our humble opinion, there isn’t a fan of rock music on the planet that couldn’t relate to this number.

Eventually, to survive, every victim plays the villain for a time. With another downright lovely mix of acoustic and electric, the bluesy, soulful Only Thinking of You tells the tale of good intentions gone bad, and the heart-wrenching process of coming clean about it all.

We cannot overstate how absolutely wonderful Gone To Stay’s mix and production quality are. The music is crisp and highly entertaining. Strelow’s voice is strong, and immediately brings to mind Poison’s Bret Michaels. (No joke.) Adam’s sorrowful, liquor-soaked ballads feel genuine and true-to-heart. Look, it’s quite simple, there is something extremely refreshing about music you don’t have to guess and theorize about. Music that is straightforward, forthright. Music that says exactly what it means to say, and nothing more. The ten tracks on Gone To Stay do just that.

Below, you can listen to Adam Strelow’s album, Gone To Stay, check out our interview with him, connect with his website and social media platforms, and find his booking & contact information. Please support Adam Strelow by visiting him online, and playing, downloading, and/or purchasing his music. And, as always, thank you for supporting real music!