Greg Tripure

Even if you don’t recognize the name right away, chances are you’re familiar with Greg Tripure. Having spent 20 years recording and touring as the rhythm guitarist and backup singer for Sub-Urban Situation, and sharing the stage with the likes of Robert Randolph, Houndmouth, Devon Allman, Sister Hazel, Perpetual Groove, The Phunk Junkeez, Ana Popovic, Nappy Roots, and The Villebillies, among many others, Tripure brings a wealth of experience to his debut solo album, Stranger to This World.

Of the 12 songs on the album, only four were available for preview for this review. Lead single “Be” would sound right at home amongst the tracks on Neil Young’s Harvest. And then there’s the funky backbeat of the folky “Picking Up the Pieces of You,” and the slower, bluesy Americana tracks “Waiting for the Leaves” and “Don’t Go Too Far.”

Stranger in This World is a heartfelt musical journey that draws on a rich tapestry of genres such as folk, R&B, Americana, roots rock, and blues, and showcases Tripure’s versatility as a singer, songwriter, and guitarist. Recorded at 4:10 Studios in Corydon, In., with former Carrollton bassist and backing vocalist Jordan Bailey, Stranger in This World exudes authenticity and warmth, firmly establishing Greg Tripure as a solo artist with a distinctive voice and an album that resonates with sincerity and soul.

instagram.com/gregtripure - LEO Weekly (author Jeff Polk)

Greg Tripure’s standout single, Calling Out (Stars), from his debut solo LP, Stranger in This World, lands like a meteor shower; it’s an anthemic cry into the void of despondency that sears its way into the soul. He may wear his Buckley influences on his vocal cords, but the rest of the track’s anatomy is entirely Tripure’s own viscerally wild creation.

For the past 20 years, Tripure has been the unsung hero in the indie touring scene, but as the world slowed down in 2018 and Covid pushed pause on live music, Tripure retreated into the depths of his creative well and emerged with a cache of songs crafted for his own voice; Calling Out (Stars) is the fiery result of that introspection.

Recorded at 4:10 Studios in Corydon, IN, with the deft touch of Jordan Bailey, the single is a masterclass in balancing anthemics and intimacy. The production is thunderous enough to paralyse, yet the lead guitar work and Tripure’s raw, evocative vocals keep you grounded in the emotional reality of the track. Tripure sings like a man possessed, each note a plea, a whisper, a roar, pulling you into his orbit, inviting you to be equally as open with your emotions in painfully honest reflection.

Calling Out (Stars) is for the outliers, the dreamers, the ones lost in the vast landscape of modern life, searching for connection. If you’ve ever felt that ache, that yearning, prepare to feel whole when you press play.

Fans of City and Colour, Neil Young, and Jeff Buckley, take note: Greg Tripure has arrived, and with Calling Out (Stars), he’s making sure you’ll never forget it.

The Stranger in This World LP is now available to stream on Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast - A&R Factory (author Amelia Vandergast)