CD Review: Old Town Crier's Peterson Motel (2025)

Jim Lough a/k/a Old Town Crier got in touch to let me know that he has a brand spankin’ new album up on Bandcamp that I needed to check out. Curious, and always psyched to hear from Jim – I’ve reviewed previous Old Town Crier recordings like the four-song EP Motion Blur earlier this year, and the full-length A Night with Old Town Crier back in 2023 – I hustled over to Bandcamp and downloaded his latest five-song EP, Peterson Motel. Like its predecessors, half the proceeds from the EP’s sales will go to charity, in this case the ACLU, which can use the cash to, you know…fund its fight to keep democracy from dying in the good ol’ U.S. of A…

Old Town Crier’s Peterson Motel

Also like its predecessors, Peterson Motel rocks with the joyous abandon of the last day of school before summer vacation. The cover art – an antiquated photo of the sort of motor lodge that used to dot the highways of America in the 1950s and ‘60s – is a hint of the familiar sounds you’ll catch from the songs. The EP’s opening track, “Goodbye Jimmy D,” is an ode to the first Hollywood rock star, delivered with an echoey throwback vibe that mixes old-school rockabilly with a cool doo-wop vocal spirit. The breathless “Janeice” is equally engaging, an up-tempo slice of sly power-pop with a big heart and a bigger sound, with enough jangle to the guitarplay to satisfy even the most diehard rocker.

“Room 615” is a mid-tempo twang-banger with an explosive chorus and effective vocals while “Tell Me That You Love Me” is a romantic, ‘60s-styled garage-rock romp with clamorous instrumentation, a busy arrangement, and vocals that vary from a whisper to a shout, with Lough pulling it all together into a single magical performance. EP closer “Truck Drivin’ Man” is, in this scribe’s humble opinion, the finest country song you’ll hear this year…some Nashville type with a big hat and small ambitions could throw some pedal steel on this tune and take it to the top. Lough imbues the song with lovely fretwork and yearning lyrics, providing the performance with reckless country soul.

The Reverend’s Bottom Line

Peterson Motel offers a lo-fi production aesthetic but high-energy delivery, each and every song a real charmer with smart lyrics and carefully-crafted instrumentation. Lough did it all himself this time around, without a band and with only ‘Riley Coyote’ providing backing lyrics. The results speak for themselves – Lough, as ‘Old Town Crier’ – is a fine songwriter and an intuitive musician that brings fresh energy to old sounds on Peterson Motel. (Stinkbug Records, released May 21st, 2025)

Buy the CD or download from Bandcamp: Old Town Crier’s Peterson Motel