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"'Careful Now My Son' has a folk and country-themed rock sound that takes the inner turmoil of the past year and captures it in a fashion that feels raw and passionate."  

- Will Oliver, WeAllWantSomeone.org

Careful Now My Son

MUSIC IN THE TIME OF CORONAVIRUS: SONG 1

A Single by Eric Anders and Mark O'Bitz

Produced by Mike Butler

Released December 9, 2020

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Written by Eric Anders and Mark O'Bitz
Produced and mixed by Mike Butler
Mastered by Jamal Ruhe
Vocals by Eric Anders
Keys by Mark O'Bitz
Mandolin by Mike Butler
Banjo by Mike Butler
Acoustic lap steel by Mike Butler
Acoustic guitar by Mike Butler

 

"When faced with paradigm shifting realities, there are many ways to cope. Eric Anders and Mark O’Bitz are taking relief in creation. Their collection, aptly titled Music in the Time of Coronavirus, is an exploration of the anxieties, isolation, and hostility that arose from 2020.

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“Careful Now my Son” comes off this collection and, as the only Americana song on the record, was chosen as a single. Though this may not be a peek at the genre intentions of the project, it certainly shows the deftness of songwriting and complex, moody melodies these artists can create.

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The song is wholly unified, layered up, and smooth. It’s hard to believe that everyone involved created it while staying in place. The lushness of the instrumentation is rich, with resonant guitar plucking a melody over sliding ambiance and a clapping rhythm. Anders’ vocals linger, laying out a somber picture. “We won’t know what to do / We won’t know who to blame /Or what’s true,” he sings starkly.

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While the duo wanted to explore the coronavirus pandemic’s emotional toll in their music, the political anxieties of the Trump era also seep in. “Careful Now my Son” can be considered a continuation of the ideas developed in “Wounded Son” on 2019’s Ghosts to Ancestors.” - Kaithlin Ruether, New Sick Music 

"["Careful Now My Son"] offers a natural bridge... full of foreboding and uneasiness both in lyric and melody. Throw in Anders' pleading vocal and some spot-on perfect mandolin and lap steel from producer Mike Butler and you can feel the hairs on the back of your neck stand up."

- Kath Galasso, OnStage Magazine

"Eric Anders and Mark O'Bitz have shared a beautiful Americana song entitled 'Careful Now My Son'. The impassioned vocals cry out for attention and the slow rhythmic musical arrangement just adds to the emotion and feeling this track conveys."

- Beehive Candy

"“Careful Now My Son” captures a folk and country-themed rock sound that takes the inner-turmoil of the past year and captures it in a fashion that feels raw and passionate ..."

- Will Oliver, WeAllWantSomeone.org

"With “Careful Now My Son,” Eric Anders and Mark O’Bitz continue to deliver willowy Americana full of tantalizing, wickedly profound nuances....  [This song] opens on swampy colors and oozing guitar textures, riding a measured, thudding kick-drum and percussive snaps. Urgent, rasping vocals imbue the lyrics with ominous savors, relating a cautionary tale of political and cultural significance. A trickling banjo and drawling steel guitar infuse the harmonic flow with deliciously boggy filaments, evoking burgeoning melancholic flavors."

- Randall Radic, Tattoo.com

"Never doubt the transporting power of music... blame those wondrous string instruments for providing this undeniable feeling... a sumptuous rhythm guitar... you’ve got to hear this to believe it.  [Mike Butler's] guitars make the song dangerous, like at any point in time anything could possibly happen, and just might."

- Breaking & Entering

""Careful Now My Son" is a vibrant and heartfelt number that speaks to these uneasy times, where we must distance from each other, at least physically, and find new ways to live in a world turned upside down."

- Jen Dan, The Record Stache

"["Careful Now My Son"] highlights [Anders and O'Bitz's] ability to integrate indie rock edginess.... with striking chords and raw vibes, "Careful Now My Son" taps into the effects of Trumpism and Covid-19... both a warning and reflection as the gliding guitar strings and foot-stomping beats yield an intimate air of introspection. ...the duo offers a nudge – one final push we need – to get through these chaotic times and avoid getting infected by any political or biological diseases."

- Aupium

"A poignant single ... I was immediately blown away... The vocals [are] filled with so much passion ... the guitar is played with this radiance and the lyrics resonated with me ..."

- Jonathan Dalloo, Audible Auddixion

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