For those not in the know, Peter Himmelman is a critically lauded rock troubadour, a Grammy nominated creator of children's music, an Emmy nominated film and television composer, a visual artist, pioneering webcast host, and founder of Big Muse, an organization devoted to the development of innovation and leadership skills.

The prolific Minneapolis-weaned singer-songwriter and muse recently moved from his longtime home of Santa Monica, Calif. to the upper west side of New York, just to shake things up (and see fellow members of his species on the city streets, which is not always the case in L.A.).

He’s also become a first-time grandfather during the Quarantine, his new grandson depicted on the album cover art on his brand new album, Press On (due out July 31st, 2020 via his own label, Himmasongs).

The 13-track album, which was recorded live in Los Feliz, California in a total of just three days, and solely on his acoustic guitar, was originally musically way more however. "I’d written a slew of about 40 new songs and eventually left them behind for the ones that appear on Press On,” Himmelman explains. "I needed to make something that was different enough to justify people listening to another Peter Himmelman record.”

1. 'Suite for Tambourine and Hand Claps'
2. 'This is How it Ends'
3. 'The Wall of the Trumpets and the Clatter of the Hoofbeats'
4. 'Press On'
5. 'A Place in Your Heart'
6. 'Straw and Kerosene'
7. 'Flying Sideways 'cross the Blacktop'
8. 'Truth Proffered in a Hard Time'
9. 'Outside Looking In'
10. 'Wither You Go'
11. 'It Seems We Never Rest'
12. 'Big Red Moon'
13. 'This is My Offering'

Opening with the laid back, folk rock ambiance of 'Suite for Tambourine and Hand Claps' he backs that up with the album's first single, the dulcetly magnificent 'This is How it Ends' and then follows that up with both the simply divine, rock guitar-led 'The Wall of the Trumpets and the Clatter of the Hoofbeats' and then the gritty storytelling of the title track.

The Gospel-tinged, lush love song 'A Place in Your Heart' is one of the stand out moments here, and that's followed by the upbeat, rawly strummed melodies of 'Straw and Kerosene,' the foot-tappin' 'Flying Sideways 'cross the Blacktop,' and then the truly melodious 'Truth Proffered in a Hard Time.'

The tempo comes right back down for the ballad 'Outside Looking In,' raises once more for the rattlesnake boogie of 'Wither You Go,' then we get the mid-tempo, finger-snappin' vibe of 'It Seems We Never Rest,' before the album comes to a close on the beautiful, enriched piano ballad 'Big Red Moon,' and then the acoustic guitar balladeering of 'This is My Offering.'

The session for Press On involved bassist/co-producer Matt Thompson, drummer Jimi Englund, keyboardist Chris Joyner, and longtime Himmelman collaborator/guitarist Greg Herzenach.

Co-producer and engineer Sheldon Gomberg made sure the live takes were left as unadulterated as possible, with any overdubs obviously kept to the barest minimum.

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