Album of the Month - September
The Narrow Way is the sixth studio album by Kentucky songwriter Nicholas Jamerson, released on September 12, 2025 through Cloverdale Records. With its 12 songs and a running time of 42 minutes, it closes the trilogy that began with The Wild Frontier and continued with Peace Mountain. The record was co-produced with multi-instrumentalist Rachel Baiman, who also plays and sings on several tracks.
At its core, The Narrow Way is a work of Appalachian storytelling, weaving family, faith, time, and redemption into song. The arrangements remain mostly acoustic, built around guitar, banjo, fiddle, mandolin, piano, but electric guitar and drums appear at key points, adding dynamics. Jamerson’s soaring voice is the album’s anchor, often supported by duets and harmonies that give the project a communal, lived-in warmth.
As Jamerson himself explained in a video: “There’s a catharsis from it. I hope the songs strike the listeners with something they’ve held on to and are able to acknowledge it, feel it and let it go, because that’s what it meant to me.”
Smoking Gun
The record opens with a nostalgic mood, its slow tempo and stripped-back arrangement leaving room for the vocals to soar. The lyrics wrestle with guilt and recognition, almost like a confession, while the acoustic guitar underlines the vulnerability at its core.
Days Like This
A mid-tempo groove arrives with layers of acoustic guitars, light percussion, and even a touch of whistling. The song reflects on fleeting, ordinary days that end up carrying more meaning than they seem, turning small snapshots into lasting memories.
I Can’t, Never Could
Here the bass line steps forward, giving the track a rhythmic, driving quality. It’s a song about perseverance and resilience, where steady momentum in the arrangement mirrors the message of not backing down.
Running Out of Daylight
The ballad of the album. Acoustic guitar, banjo, and strings weave around each other while two backing vocalists join in for the first time, and will continue to color much of the record. The song contemplates mortality and the pressure of time, with long instrumental passages that let the emotions breathe.
Working Man
Mandolin enters for the first time, courtesy of Tim O’Brien, raising the tempo and adding brightness. The banjo is present too, grounding the track in country tradition. Lyrically, it’s a portrait of labor, grit, and dignity, and the mandolin solo is a highlight that underlines its lively spirit.
Sunday Dinners
Slowing the pace once more, this duet with the artist’s sister dwells on family ties and religion. An acoustic guitar intro sets a hushed, intimate tone, and the shared vocals give the song the feel of a conversation at the dinner table, filled with faith and memory.
Dark in Every Day
A more uptempo number, with a folk-rock pulse. It acknowledges the shadows that weave through daily life, but also points to the resilience required to face them.
Girls from Bristol
The longest track on the album, and one that stretches out to let the vocals shine. With piano and keyboard joining for the first time, the arrangement feels broader, almost cinematic. The lyrics explore the passage of time and the bittersweet edge of nostalgia, showing the songwriter at his most reflective.
One With You
A deeply spiritual duet with Shelby Means that leans into Appalachian tradition. With just banjo and acoustic guitar, it becomes the purest acoustic track on the record. Themes of unity and transcendence flow through it, like an old hymn rediscovered.
Prater Creek
Here the energy picks back up. A duet with Ketch Secor, it feels more rollicking, almost playful, with harmonica and lively strings carrying the tune. The song celebrates community and place, steeped in the landscape it invokes.
How Sunday Feels
Another duet, this time with Rachel Baiman. It pairs naturally with Sunday Dinners, revisiting themes of family and ritual, but the presence of a striking electric guitar solo sets it apart. There’s a quiet strength in the way it bridges sacred and everyday life.
On My Way
The album closes on an uplifting note. For the first time, the electric guitar cuts loose with distortion, bringing a sense of release and finality. The lyrics look forward with optimism, ending the record with light rather than shadow.
The Narrow Way is an album that takes its time, both in the stories it tells and in the spaces it leaves open for the listener. With its blend of Appalachian tradition, heartfelt lyrics, and rich acoustic instrumentation, it feels like the natural conclusion to the trilogy. Each track offers its own message, but together they form a journey that is both deeply personal and universally resonant.