Christo Sedgewick and The Fabulous Regrets make a bold entrance with Bright Are the Days, a record that fuses the soul of singer songwriter storytelling with the grit of Southern and classic rock. Fueled by rich instrumentation including layers of electric and acoustic guitars, organ, piano, and a rhythm section that is locked in from start to finish, this album is full of warmth, heart, and raw emotion.
The journey begins with Always Gone, a breezy, acoustic driven ballad with a touch of beachside nostalgia. Bright guitars and a glowing organ give the track its rock and roll shimmer, while Sedgewick’s laid back vocal delivery brings a sense of ease. It is a song about longing for home (in Maine), and it sets the tone for the heartfelt ride ahead.
Old Whisky follows with earthy textures and a memorable acoustic riff that sounds as smooth and complex as the drink itself. The vocal phrasing is rhythmically sharp and catchy, and when the piano joins in, the arrangement deepens. The song is peaceful in spirit but full of movement, offering a grounded, organic moment early in the record.
Then comes Birthday Song, a deeply vulnerable highlight. Sedgewick sings with tenderness about being stuck in life’s hard places. The track begins with simple picked chords, played slowly and carefully, and an emotionally exposed vocal, eventually building into a sweeping rock ballad reminiscent of classic 1970s anthems. It feels live, raw, and incredibly cathartic. His vocal gets more intense as the track builds into its full-band moment, keeping the listener on the edge of their seat, like every ounce of soul is being poured into the song. He sings: “What are you doing worrying about me? You should be digging around underneath that summer tree.” I think one of the marks of a great recording artist is when their raw sound awakens something in the listener’s soul. For me, this song did just that.
With its delicate guitar harmonics, Nora floats in like a breath of fresh air. The track explores the theme of restrained love, and Sedgewick’s vocal performance here is one of his most dynamic. This track is a stripped down, intimate interlude that showcases the beauty of simplicity and emotional clarity. To me, Nora has the quality of a lullaby, largely due to the centered, gentle electric keyboard. The lyrics feel like a lullaby to the self, an attempt to soothe one’s own uncertainty rather than offering comfort to the romantic partner he’s singing about. When he admits he doesn’t know where to put his hands while holding her, it reveals a deep discomfort with sharing intimacy with her. Affection doesn’t always come naturally between two people, and that disconnect can affect the rhythm of a relationship, perhaps even lead to a lack of affection altogether. Lyrically, It’s a moment of raw, unfiltered honesty. The gentle instrumentation and calming vocal delivery make the song feel empowering, as if it sounds rooted in a quiet sense of self-acceptance.
On Ghosts, the band shifts gears into a true jam. This is one of the catchiest songs on the record. It is a high energy track about the pain of toxic love, of being stuck in patterns you wish you could break. “I’ve got memories in my bones of all the wicked things I’ve done,” Sedgewick confesses. His vocal tone sounds more confessional than proud. He knows that him and his romantic partner are stuck in a pattern of toxicity, but can these two characters break the cycle? He sings, “Life without you is impossible” over and over, and he means it. Throughout this track, the listener may notice a sense of urgency in the vocal delivery and music, because of the quick rhythmic pacing and intricate riffing. Piano lines dance around fast-paced strumming and quick fire vocals, creating a true rock and roll moment for the record. This is a song that will stay with me.
Lament channels the spirit of The Doors and the Grateful Dead with a bluesy groove and swirling organ riffs. If you’re a fan of classic rock from the 1960s and 1970s, then this song will be your favorite. The gritty guitars, with the smooth bluesy organ, give this song a great backbone, one that is truly rock n’ roll. It is both a plea for forgiveness and a full-bodied jam, making it one of the standout rock moments on the album.
Morning Comes brings the energy down with a soft, acoustic ballad that feels like it was recorded right in your living room, intimate, unfiltered, and deeply personal. It’s a stunning performance. One of the album’s most resonant lines lives here: “Our bodies remember what our brains erases.” It’s a quiet, powerful reminder of how we carry pain in ways we don’t always recognize, and the importance of treating ourselves with gentleness. It also speaks to the need for greater awareness of how we treat our bodies and what we put into them. If we spend the night in party mode, blacked out and detached, our minds might forget, but our bodies never do. As the song unfolds, it gradually picks up into a steady jam with a strong sense of pacing, adding flavors of rock and roll. What begins as a tender singer-songwriter ballad transforms into something that feels like a traveling road trip anthem, expansive, reflective, and full of motion.
“I can’t say enough about the band and all they add. I spend so much time living alone inside of my songs that I can lose my ability to see them for what they are and what they can be. Every one of those guys took their parts, made them them their own, and in doing so made greater, different, and fuller than I ever could have conceived. Same with Greg Norman, our engineer at Electrical. He has the peculiar talent of hearing what isn’t what isn’t yet there, and giving you the amp that will make it so. That nasty guitar snarl on Lament? Thanks, Greg. The delicate and resonant cymbal crashes on Always Gone? Thanks, Greg. None of this would be nearly so fun or complete with out all of them.”
– Christo Sedgewick
In When We Say Goodbye, the band delivers a dreamlike ballad that captures the serene beauty of a simple life. With imagery of a Maine garden and deer grazing in the fields, Sedgewick reflects on a love that elevates the mundane into something magical. This song offers a window into the romanticism that often drives songwriters, who, like poets, weave profound emotions into their melodies. The piano work is graceful and unrestrained, weaving effortlessly through riffs and flourishes that mirror the joyful spirit of the lyrics. It’s a peaceful ballad, one that gently explores the concept of the American Dream, celebrating the quiet, transformative power of love and simplicity.
If you’re a fan of harmonica solos and electrifying guitars, Can’t Sleep will quickly become your favorite track. The harmonica solo is nothing short of exceptional, with each note bending and twisting, giving the song a raw, bluesy edge and coming from a harmonica player, that’s high praise. The track explodes with energy and charm, bolstered by Sedgewick’s distinctive, folksy vocal tone, which adds a unique flair to the song’s personality. There’s a definite Bob Dylan vibe running through it, both in its spirit and its style. The organ riffs are irresistibly catchy, and the entire song feels like an exuberant celebration of pure musical joy. With its fast pace and infectious energy, this is the perfect anthem for a road trip, a song that beckons you to hit the open road with nothing but the music and the wind in your hair.
The album closes with Sunset Lightning, a track that carries the same energy and style as Can’t Sleep. It’s a breakup anthem wrapped in smooth guitar tones and driven by powerful rock intensity. Sedgewick sings, “I guess I always thought that you would always be mine, I must be losing my mind,” and if you’ve ever gone through a breakup, those words will resonate deeply, capturing the raw, frantic feeling of heartbreak. The guitar solo is fluid and expressive, adding a fiery intensity that perfectly complements the song’s emotional weight. It’s a powerful, cathartic send-off to the album, leaving you with a sense of both release and resolution.
Bright Are the Days by Christo Sedgewick and The Fabulous Regrets captures the full range of emotion and experience with grit, grace, and a whole lot of heart. Listen now on Spotify and let the rock n’ roll journey begin.
Written by Ryan Cassata
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