• Courtesy
• Will Evans, After the Burnt Out Sun

(Self-released, CD, digital, vinyl)

It was a common pandemic tale: Unable to gig during a global plague, musicians live streamed performances to keep in contact with their audiences. Rhode Island-based singer-songwriter Will Evans was no exception, hosting a regular Thursday-night stream for his fans, whom he dubbed "Kind Folk."

What made those streams out of the ordinary is that Evans used them to write new songs each week, which he then collected into his latest LP, After the Burnt Out Sun. The album, Evans' fourth full-length record since his band Barefoot Truth went on hiatus in 2012, is a showcase for roots-rock, dad-band wisdom and the sort of environmental concerns one might expect from a touring musician and avid surfer.

Now more than a decade into his solo career, Evans has pushed further into the role of a multi-instrumentalist and live looper, a true one-man show. Given the subject matter of his songs and his love of surfing, Jack Johnson comparisons are perhaps inevitable. Evans' compositions and arrangements exhibit more sophistication than Johnson's music. But, at the end of the day, these are simple tunes, the kind of placid, uniform ditties you might hear in a prescription drug commercial.

So many of the songs on the record come across as the reflections of a man recalibrating the way he looks at the world. "All My Relations," a tune about a near-death experience Evans had while surfing, shows a songwriter looking for a reason.

"Oh my love is an open window / falls from crown to feet," Evans sings. "It only takes one light to drive through the darkness." If the song sounds suspiciously like a Christian rock tune, well, that's because it essentially is. Evans' latest album is very much about a man reaffirming his faith. A press release accompanying the record details how Evans bounced back after the career setbacks dealt to him by the pandemic and a back surgery:

"Eventually, he found a way to navigate through his anxiety by getting help rather than shaming himself," the release reads. "This led to a new sense of inner peace and a restoration in faith, believing in something higher than himself, trusting the process and enjoying the ride."

Those emotions drive the songs on After the Burnt Out Sun, from the sunshine pop of "Breathe (Exhale)" to the raucous energy of "Heavy Water." If there are moments when the sheer volume of good vibes gets too much for some, it's helpful to recall that these are songs Evans wrote directly to his fans during a time of great anxiety.

Despite its blander aspects, the record showcases Evans' multi-instrumentalist prowess, which is even more impressive when he plays live — for instance, at the Higher Ground Showcase Lounge in South Burlington on Saturday, April 29. After the Burnt Out Sun is available on all major streaming services now.