A review of the latest album by this Donegal X-Press side project
by Greg Yost
From Music Monthly (Vol. 20, No. 8, Issue 227) - August, 2003
The Donegal X-Press have been rocking Charm City and the rest of Maryland for many years with their unique brand of music. Mixing traditional Irish instruments, melodies and themes with good old-fashioned American rock music, the X-Press have risen above being merely a bar band and have proven themselves to be true artists with a unique vision. As the band has grown and changed over the years, several side projects have formed to present different musical visions. The Wayfarers are one of these side projects, and they are in top form on their new album, Like I Used To.

The core of The Wayfarers consists of Brad Dunnells on vocals and guitar, Jason Tinney on vocal and harmonica, and Laura Cosner on vocals. On Like I Used To, the group presents a broad mix of musical styles that breaks away from the Irish influence of the Donegal X-Press and defies simple genre classification. Each song is unique and touches on different musical influences, making for an interesting and very enjoyable listening experience. Whether it is folk, blues, country, rock or occasionally spoken word, The Wayfarers embrace their musical styles to create a great amalgam of American music.
The album is unique because it starts and ends with whatt I consider to be its two best songs. It opens with the catchy "Lay Down," penned by Cosner and Dunnells. The song is especially notable thanks to the lovely lead vocals provided by Cosner. This is worth mentioning because many of the songs on Like I Used To feature shared lead vocals by the three members of the group.

Like I Used To ends with the stark and pretty "Times Like These". Written and performed by Dunnells, he considers this song to be his most honest and personal effort ever. The result of this introspective approach to songwriting is both beautiful and memorable, and the perfect way to bring the album to a close.

The best part about a listen to Like I Used To is that every song is good. In between the two outstanding ones mentioned above is a solid and memorable collection of songs. Not only are the individual tracks well written and performed, but the sound quality of the disc is top notch. There's really nothing bad I can say about The Wayfarers or this album. Having already proven that the Donegal X-Press is a real musical force in the area, the members of The Wayfarers can concentrate on building a new reputation of their own. This should not be a difficult task; one listen to Like I Used To and the listener will know.