Communication became so difficult during the nightmare of early lockdown I’d neglect to contact friends for months, or I’d reach out and get almost nothing in return. “Everybody” feels like a pandemic-era song, although its lyrics will still resonate when this long terrible time is hopefully a distant memory. There’s a celebration of the old times in the lyrics but also a piercing sadness, tinged with resignation: “I get along / I get by / I get gone / I get high.” The sense of community and connection that runs throughout One Day, though, comes through in the refrain: “I know I’m not the only one.”įour tracks on the album linger primarily in the moment, in ways both personal and universal. When Burkum sings of “Walking down the street in cowboy boots,” I can’t help but picture Cedar Avenue in the West Bank neighborhood of Minneapolis, where the mainstay Palmer’s Bar used to be in good company with the 400, the Viking and the Nomad (sadly, all gone now, as are Glover and Ray). The song name-checks Minnesota legends Sammy Lind, Spider John Koerner, Dave “Snaker” Ray and Tony “Little Sun” Glover. “Not the Only One” is a nostalgic ode to the Twin Cities’ old-time country/folk scene of decades past. Two songs primarily explore the past, “Runaway” and “Not the Only One.” “Runaway” is a universal spin on the classic theme of lamenting about a fly-by-night lover-reminiscent of The Cactus Blossoms’ “Clown Collector” in its theme and upbeat sound, though without the older song’s grudging admiration for the player in question. There’s bittersweet nostalgia and a sense of loss, there’s a feeling of a pause-to take stock, be in the moment, process feelings-and yet, there’s a freshness to it, a feeling of rebirth and rejuvenation and movement that’s intoxicating. That was my first impression on listening to One Day all the way through for the first time. Something that struck me profoundly in Charlie Parr’s most recent release The Last of the Better Days Ahead was how it managed to simultaneously look back, stay in the present and give a feeling of forward momentum. But especially in these times, this album feels particularly important and welcome. These themes will remain timeless, if the pandemic ever recedes in our rearview mirror. Being one of those humans myself, I probably listen to and interpret lyrics differently because of what I’ve gone through.īut I sense a strong through-line in most of the songs on the album: a longing for and celebration of human connection and resilience. On One Day, I sense more of a theme than with any of their previous ones, although it could be that, collectively, everyone on the planet has gone (and is still going) through a traumatic time that’s changed how we think. No matter how their sound changes, two elements of The Cactus Blossoms’ music can always be counted on: strong melodies delivered by Torrey and Burkum’s unearthly gorgeous blood harmony, and deceptively simple lyrics that convey emotion and paint pictures while evading definitive literal interpretation. The brothers take turns with lead vocals and push their sound in a few different directions, but the overall record feels confident and cohesive. The pinnacle tracks for this album are 'Bad Stuff', 'Bringing Me Down', 'Bedroom Mazurka', 'Telling You', and a live recording of Let Me Swim, which was a song by the original Cactus on their 1970 debut album.The new Cactus Blossoms album, One Day, takes that 70s folk/rock/pop feel a step further and enriches it, creating a layered, polished sound that's retro but original.

The first three songs (filled up the first side of the original LP) were recorded live on April 3, 1972, in Puerto Rico at the Mar Y Sol Pop Festival, and the rest (the second side of the LP) were recorded in studio (so on the album's front cover is pointed after the band's name: On Stage In Puerto Rico And In The Studio). This was the band's final album before their long hiatus that lasted until 2006. Original members Jim McCarty and Rusty Day already were absent, and former bass guitarist Tim Bogert and drummer Carmine Appice joined by Werner Fritzschings on guitar, Duane Hitchings on keyboards and Peter French (ex-Leaf Hound and Atomic Rooster) on vocals. 'Ot 'n' Sweaty is the fourth album by the American rock band Cactus released in 1972.

Original cactus album cover