Colby T. Helms shines a light on the underrepresented, the misunderstood, and the overlooked with his second record, One for the Losers. Raised in the Blue Ridge foothills of Southwest Virginia, he has always created his own version of American mountain music — a raw sound influenced by country, bluegrass, and folk — influenced by the people, places, stories, and struggles that have shaped him. If his debut album chronicled his own experience, though, then. One for the Losers widens the frame by looking outward. Across a dozen tracks, Helms sings about troubled friends, lovers, moonshiners, immigrants, and working-class Virginians trying to survive in a world that threatens to leave them behind. While much of the record was recorded in Nashville with producer David "Ferg" Ferguson, the influence of Virginia can be felt everywhere, from the historical narrative of "Ballad of the Bondurant Boys" to the use of waltzes, ballads, and old-school rhythms that once formed the backbone of Appalachian dances. A modern album inspired by timeless traditions, One for the Losers champions the underdogs whose stories rarely make the spotlight, but are just as deserving as everybody else.
