Thad Cockrell If In Case You Feel The Same LP (Translucent Yellow Vinyl)

Thad Cockrell has released his first solo effort in over a decade. The album In Case You Feel The Same was produced by Tony Berg (Phoebe Bridgers, the Replacements etc) and includes collaborations with Brittany Howard, Blake Mills and mixer/engineer Shawn Everett (Vampire Weekend, Beck, The War on Drugs).

Cockrell's ATO Records debut If in Case You Feel the Same taps into the tremendous depth of expression he's brought to co-writing for such artists as Grammy-nominated Joy Williams, Devon Gilfillian, Joseph and Mathew Caws of Nada Surf. After completing the final album from his previous band LEAGUES in 2016, Cockrell felt compelled to make new music, this time of a far more personal and sometimes painfully vulnerable nature. Buoyed by the support and encouragement of Alabama Shakes' Brittany Howard who introduced him to her label and management team, Cockrell set out to work on a solo album. The new single "Higher" is graced with Howard's soul-stirring guest vocals, slipping into gospel territory as Cockrell reflects on several significant losses.

The fans who embraced To Be Loved or 2003's Warmth and Beauty will probably be taken aback by the more expansive sound of If in Case You Feel the Same, but love and understanding are still the touchstones that guide his songs; the production is significantly different, but the message should sound familiar, and the need for compassion, both human and divine, is expressed with an eloquent insistence that's as powerful as anything he's ever recorded. Musically, If in Case You Feel the Same is the sound of Thad Cockrell boldly reinventing himself, even as he remains true to the beliefs that have driven him as a songwriter from the very beginning, and the craft he's put into this music is thoughtful and impressive, even as it takes him into unfamiliar territory.