Jeff Przech - "Helena: The Country Sounds -EP"

Just after his release in October 2023 of 'Helena: the Country Sounds- EP', Jeff Przech asked his Facebook fans and friends a big question: "What does country music mean to you?" Almost unequivocally, the responses came back with answers like "authenticity" "honesty" and "integrity".

Ever the storyteller, Jeff seamlessly weaves these themes into his songs, all the while maintaining who he is at his core, and if you asked this Editrix, they'd tell you that their opinion of country music is that it's a story - one we can all understand and feel, whether we've been there, or whether it's a fantastical fable. Chatting with the Hartford native about country music, he points out that no matter where the songwriter is from or what their influence, the connection between the song and the songwriter is what truly makes country music authentic.

In the EP, Jeff takes us along his musical journey. On a virtual ride to clear his head and open his horizons, the wanderlust of his characters unfolds one by one, going to different places, for their own reasons, telling their stories and sharing their experiences.

Right from the opening lines of "Helena", Jeff paints a vivid picture, telling a story you can see and feel as if you yourself were living it. Changing the pronunciation of Helena from the city name to the woman's name, he seems to intend to lead the listener to guess whether he's talking about a lady, or a distant town. The hopeful vein that Dennis Fancher's electric guitar lays down as our protagonist predicts uniting with his love adds more than the sum of its sound to this gorgeous track.

The image of restlessness takes us along a different story in "Anywhere But Here", a smooth and poignant ballad of our noble protagonist traveling endlessly. The feel of the cycle repeating, but maybe not without hope, our character desperate for, and afraid of, connection, may yet find it.

"Someday" turns the vibe up a bit with a bouncy, jaunty feel, buoyed by Dave Connolly's expert banjo playing and Seth Hagymasi's bouncy mandolin vibes. The character's point of view in looking backward to move forward, lends balance to the overall feel of the EP. No less lonely, "Someday" ends on a more optimistic note.

The story told in "Clinchfield Rail '23", is entirely from the storyteller's mind, but the railroad itself, now closed down, was entirely factual. The listener can feel the blue collar, industrial sprawl and the soft desperation of the narrator, being tested by the job and the elements. The mobility of the turn of the century train culture laces throughout the song, and conjures images of how trains bring together- more than just people and goods, but also ideas, making the spans of land that they crossed so much shorter than their miles.

There aren't too many storytellers quite like Jeff Przech, who can captivate, put on the character for the song, and still be completely true to their roots and themselves through every album in their catalog.

Not only are the songs on this album beautiful and thoughtful, but the arrangements are absolutely top notch. Careful attention to detail with CT music legend Tracy Walton on bass, backing vocals by Zoe Coz on "Helena", pedal steel by Peter Adams and Jon Graboff, and Steve Peck on drums, boosts the atmosphere of the album, to make it a really polished offering.

True to Third Half's luck, we've had some technical issues and unfortunately, some of the original interview with Jeff was lost. But don't let that keep you from getting your own copy of 'Helena: the Country Sounds- EP' and experiencing this big sky vibe all for yourself !

You can find Jeff at his home page at https://jeffprzech.com/ , and on every major listening platform.

Originally posted 4/30/2024, reposted 10/7/2025