The Suitcase Junket is presenting something a little different with Mean Dog, Trampoline. The album is produced by Steve Berlin (Jackie Greene, Rickie Lee Jones, Leo Kottke) of Los Lobos. This new input gives Mean Dog, Trampoline a new and hearty sound from the self-recorded, homespun approach of The Suitcase Junket’s previous efforts. In creating the album, Lorenz pulled from a fantastic patchwork sonic palette, shaping his songs with elements of jangly folk, fuzzed-out blues, oddly textured psych-rock. Engineered by Justin Pizzoferrato (Dinosaur Jr., Speedy Ortiz) and mixed by Vance Powell (Jack White, Houndmouth). The Suitcase Junket’s sound is still very much intact on the project, the result is his most powerfully direct album so far. The leading song of the project is “Dandelion Crown.” The lyrics convey a warm empathy into its loving and nuanced portrait of addiction, sung with passion and directness by Lorenz. “The song came from thinking about how you can lose control of your life by degrees, until you don’t even recognize yourself anymore,” says Lorenz. “But there’s still a little redemption in there—those moments when things become sweet and clear again, despite the fact that you’re permanently changed as a person.” Honest lyrics with a rootsy reverence. Lorenz songs are honest and straight forward with an earnest trustworthiness that leaves the listener engaged. His whisky drenched voice is believable, and his traveled stories speaks a truth. Highly recommended and that's the short of it!