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Cracked Open is the fourth album from singer, songwriter, multi-talented instrumentalist Arthur Lee Land. His sound has been categorized as electro-Americana since his music captures the elements of country, blues and rock n’ roll with his folksy vocals.
About the album Land said on his website ArthurLeeLand.com, “We recorded one song a week in my home studio, and we didn't know what the next song would be until the day before we recorded it. It was always like "what's next?" We had about 40 songs to choose from but we had no idea what songs were going to end up on the record and we had to trust the process.” The order of the songs on the album is the same order the tracks were recorded.
Cracked Open is a passionate and emotional album that is about suffering and growing as a person from those experiences. After finishing the album Land lost his voice because of a polyp on his vocal cord. As a result it made him wait two years before he could release the album. The experience “cracked him open deeply” and made him find inner strength as an artist and spiritual growth.
The album opens with the single “Cracked Open” that opens with a cool country rock vibe that is fast and inspiring. The sound of the banjo over takes the song and it will have you tapping and clapping through out. Land’s folksy vocals are laced with a hint of blues as he sings raw and dark lyrics. “Went to find my Mama/ But she was dead and gone/Cried myself a river/A childless mother now full grown.”
A single that stands out from the album is his autobiographical song “Good Enough.” Growing up can be rough for some adolescents especially if they don’t have support of their parents. It’s evident that Land had a troubled childhood with the lyrics, “It could have been my big brother/ Cuz I was just a pain in his ass/But maybe my mom, cuz to her I could never do things right/My cheating dad went along with it /To keep the peace in the house/Now I'm left with this burden and stage-fright.” The song has a slow folksy tempo that is perfect for the emotionally charged single.
Through out the album there is a consistency with bluesy rifts of the guitar and countrified swagger that melds with Land’s soothing vocal. The sweet sound of the harmonica brings the song come alive and the catchy electric vibe of a keyboard opens our ears to listen to Land’s meaningful lyrics. Each hit and stomp of the drums makes Cracked Open a perfect combination of country and urban.