Derek Vanderhorst is a successful sound designer and re-recording mixer for film and television based in Los Angeles.
A few years ago, he was diagnosed with Stage 4 head and neck cancer. Miraculously, after hundreds of hours of vocal rehab, has been cancer-free for 5 years.
The unwelcome encounter with the grim reaper forced Vanderhorst to take stock of his life and relationships. The eleven tracks here are the pick of 150 songs he wrote for a long postponed debut. He says: “It’s an album of metaphorically and emotionally going home and becoming grounded.”
The opening track, Can’t Fall In Love With You, tells of an impending breakup but Vanderhorst explains that it is also “a song about feeling alone during my cancer treatments.”
The strain of singing can be heard on this tune and, indeed, throughout although on the upbeat Hillbilly Princess he demonstrates that he is not afraid to put his vocal chords through their paces.
For the most part, his voice is croaky and breaks frequently but I guess these traits never stopped Dylan or Tom Waits and it’s a major achievement that the album got to be made at all.
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Vanderhorst plays guitar, melodica, mandolin, banjo and harmonica. He is joined by musician buddies with the fiddle playing of Gabe Witcher being particularly noteworthy. This enhances the breeziness of the Americana sound. Miranda Lee Richards duets on the title track and it’s a shame her contribution is confined to just this one song.
The album ends with a pseudo punk tune Shake Shake Shake which was written when Vanderhorst revived his guitar playing and song writing after putting both these activities on the back burner for around 20 years.
The music overall is uneven but not without merit and the overriding philosophy of Vanderhorst is exemplary and worth quoting in full: “ Life is short and relationships matter. Be grateful for everything that we have and pursue your passions and dreams at any age or stage in your life.”
Derek Vanderhorst’s website
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