Golden Rail Motel is the third studio album by American singer-songwriter Eamon. It was released on September 15, 2017, by Huey Ave Music. Recording sessions for the album took place between 2016 and 2017 at The Lion's Den and The Space Ship Studios in Los Angeles, California. Golden Rail Motel contains themes of struggle, insanity, redemption, and love, and features a fusion of R&B and traditional soul music, along with elements of pop and hip hop music.

Golden Rail Motel
Studio album by
ReleasedSeptember 15, 2017
Recorded2016–2017
StudioThe Lion's Den and The Space Ship in Los Angeles, California
GenreR&B
Length34:26
LabelHuey Ave Music
ProducerEamon, Stoupe, Snipe Young, Dan Ubick
Eamon chronology
Love & Pain
(2006)
Golden Rail Motel
(2017)
Singles from Golden Rail Motel
  1. "Be My Girl"
    Released: April 7, 2017
  2. "Before I Die"
    Released: June 16, 2017
  3. "I Got Soul"
    Released: September 8, 2017

Golden Rail Motel was released to critical acclaim, with one review describing the record as "perfectly placed to slot into the retro-soul ranks",[1] and another saying it is "a declaration that Eamon is here to stay."[2] The run-up single to the record, "I Got Soul", featured a well-received one-shot music video directed by film director Douglas Quill.[3]

Background

edit

After experiencing worldwide success with his hit single "Fuck It (I Don't Want You Back)" (2003), Eamon succumbed to the pitfalls of fame and fortune, namely drug abuse and addiction for several years following the release of his second album Love & Pain.[4] Eamon, however, was able to recover from his addiction and in 2012 signed a recording contract with an independent label based out of San Francisco whom he recorded an album's worth of material for. The record was shelved after the label went bankrupt and its CFO was convicted of fraud and sentenced to 45 years in federal prison.[5]

Eamon continued to write and record music. After featuring on a few Jedi Mind Tricks songs, the rap group's producer, Stoupe reached out to Eamon to record vocals for a producer's album he was working on. Both Stoupe and his record label were so pleased with the outcome, they decided to team up to produce the album that would become Golden Rail Motel.[4]

Critical reception

edit
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
Blues & Soul     [6]
Exclaim!8/10[2]
Independent     [7]

Golden Rail Motel was met with positive reviews from critics. The Canadian publication Exclaim! wrote that the album "showcases an artist in ripening maturity conquering his demons."[2] In a four-star review, the British newspaperThe Independent singled out Eamon's vocal abilities as the "most impressive" aspect of the album.[7] The album was further praised for its honesty,[8] intensity,[2] and grit.

Track listing

edit
No.TitleWriter(s)Producer(s)Length
1."Before I Die"Eamon, L.G. Young, R.D. ArchieSnipe Young, Eamon, Dan Ubick3:29
2."Be My Girl"Eamon, L.G. Young, K. BaldwinSnipe Young, Stoupe, Eamon3:12
3."Lock Me Down"Eamon, K. Baldwin, L.G. Young, K. Clark, I. Quintero, D. UbickStoupe, Dan Ubick, Eamon3:02
4."I Got Soul"Eamon, D. Ubick, K. Baldwin, L.G. Young, C. Dandridge, A. MontellaDan Ubick, Eamon, Stoupe, Steve Kaye3:11
5."Burn It Up"Eamon, L.G. Young, K. Baldwin, D. UbickStoupe, Eamon, Dan Ubick3:32
6."Mama Don't Cry"Eamon, C. Dandridge, B.A. HeardEamon, Benj Heard, Steve Kaye3:40
7."You and Only You"Eamon, D. Ubick, K. Baldwin, L.G. Young, R. DonahueDan Ubick, Eamon, Stoupe, Snipe Young3:53
8."Hands Make You Dance"Eamon, K. Baldwin, L.G. Young, I. QuinteroStoupe, Snipe Young, Dan Ubick, Eamon3:09
9."Run"Eamon, D. Ubick, K. Baldwin, A. Montella, M. Bailey, Jr., D. ElbertStoupe, Eamon, Dan Ubick2:55
10."Requiem"Eamon, C. DandridgeMikal Blue4:21
Golden Rail Motel – Bonus Tracks
No.TitleWriter(s)Producer(s)Length
11."Way Too Close"
  • Eamon
  • Mikal Blue
  • Eamon
3:40

Personnel

edit

Production

edit

Creative

edit

References

edit
  1. ^ "Album reviews: Benjamin Clementine, Foo Fighters, and more". The Independent. September 14, 2017. Retrieved June 23, 2023.
  2. ^ a b c d Bauer, Matt (September 13, 2017). "Eamon - Golden Rail Motel". Exclaim!. Retrieved September 13, 2017.
  3. ^ "Eamon's music video for "I Got Soul" is a must see". gems & secrets. Retrieved October 4, 2017.
  4. ^ a b Gamp, Joe (July 19, 2017). "R'n'B singer Eamon to tackle his demons on Golden Rail Motel, his first material in over a decade". Metro. DMG Media. Retrieved September 13, 2017.
  5. ^ "Southern District of New York | Leader Of "Pump And Dump" Stock Fraud Scheme Sentenced In Manhattan Federal Court To Nine Years In Prison | United States Department of Justice". www.justice.gov. May 13, 2015. Retrieved June 23, 2023.
  6. ^ "Homepage". Blues & Soul. Archived from the original on November 3, 2017. Retrieved September 14, 2017.[not specific enough to verify]
  7. ^ a b "Album reviews: Benjamin Clementine - I Tell A Fly, Foo Fighters - Concrete And Gold, Yusuf/Cat Stevens - The Laughing Apple – Eamon". Independent. Retrieved September 13, 2017.
  8. ^ "NOTEL MOTEL.....". Retrieved September 13, 2017.