The last time James George Serrett put out an album he was having a rough go of it. His wife had just left him and, worse, wouldn't speak to him. So, distraught, Serrett channeled all his angst, anxiety and worry into an album, 2007's "The Most Romantic Fool."
Fast forward to 2008 and things are, well, just as emotionally rough for Serrett - he and the ex still aren't on speaking terms.
Lucky for the 60-year-old singer-songwriter, it simply meant he had another record in him.
"This last year was even harder than the last and so my songs started getting even more personal," Serrett says of his latest release, "Living in Slow Motion."
As with "Fool," the new record is a collection of soft rock power ballads influenced by the likes of James Taylor and Billy Joel.
And while the songs are great therapy for him, Serrett says, he's always a little surprised that other like his sad songs so much.
"I asked my shrink - 'why do people like this stuff?'," he says.
"He told me, '(because) they've been through it and made it through to the other side.'"
James George Serrett: "Living in Slow Motion"
Style: Soft rock
Behind the song: The song, Serrett says, "comes from a personal and painful experience."
"It's about denial and self-delusion and refusing to move forward," he says. "The guy (in the song) is dazed and weaving and holding on to the delusion that she might come back."
And while writing the song was therapeutic, Serrett says, the actual recording of it was eye-opening.
"There's nothing like hearing your regrets blasting from the studio's speakers."
On the Web: cdbaby.com/cd/jgserrett2
Listen to the title track from "Living in Slow Motion" here:
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