On solo debut ‘Hundred Mile Wilderness,’ Griffin William Sherry gets personal

Robert Ker - 9/20/24 - Portland Press Herald

Maine songwriter Griffin William Sherry begins his solo career in familiar territory: “Reflections,” the first track of his debut album, “Hundred Mile Wilderness,” released Friday, opens with a plaintive acoustic guitar and banjo. Soon, Sherry’s voice comes in, with the raspy, chestnut hues that fans of his former band, Ghost of Paul Revere, know so well. As the song progresses, however, his music start to feel different. A host of gospel-inflected backing singers come in. Galloping drums escort the song to an explosive climax. It all sounds huge.

After Ghost of Paul Revere amicably split in 2022, the Buxton-born singer toured with local friends, tinkering with new material, before decamping for Nashville to record “Hundred Mile Wilderness” with an ace team of Nashville-based session musicians. He connected with producer, mixer and engineer Eddie Spear, who has worked with Sierra Ferrell, Brandi Carlile, and Cody Jinks, among others. Most notably, Spear has worked extensively with country megastar Zach Bryan, including on Bryan’s breakthrough album, “American Heartbreak.” This album could similarly be seen as Sherry’s play for the big-time, with a robust, radio-friendly sound.

And yet, as one might expect from a solo debut, the album often feels more personal and direct than the work Sherry did with his former band. The lyrics explore themes of self-discovery, moments of clarity and narrators standing at crossroads in their lives. The title of the album refers to Maine’s stretch of wilderness on the Appalachian Trail, a dense path through the Maine woods that signals the end of the journey for northbound hikers. For Sherry, however, that trail marks a beginning, and a place to sink deep into one’s self for creative exploration.

Like Zach Bryan’s songs, Sherry’s work touches deftly on details of small-town life and blends it with raw emotions, going from intimate gestures to anthemic releases. Spear’s production harnesses these traits as well as anyone in the music industry and offers them to listeners in ways that demand your attention. “Our Town” has a booming, piano-driven swing to it, with Sherry nimbly scat-singing over the top the beat. “Ain’t It Amazing” is a rhythmically complex showcase of stringed instruments. “Roll With The Punches” boasts an earworm of a chorus, complete with big “whoas” readymade for arena-sized crowds to sing along to.

If all goes well, Sherry could be playing in rooms that size in the future, and “Hundred Mile Wilderness” is an impressive first step in that direction. And yet, the Buxton boy and the Ghost of Paul Revere are clearly in the album’s DNA. “If you could see me now, would you recognize me,” he sings on “Reflections.” The answer, for the Maine audiences that have accompanied him on his journey to date, is a clear yes.