Ladies and gentlemen, The Wag is back.
Area alcove rock and lake-escapism mainstay Glen Wagner returns with Long, Long Way, a self-produced, feel-good blend of country, blues rock, and Jimmy Buffett-leaning nostalgia. Where 2021’s Perfect Piece of Time traced a more acoustic, reflective life journey, this latest effort leans into a fuller, rocking roadhouse sound—more drive, more country, and a little more punch behind Wagner showing how easy it is to rock with life’s currents.
The album opens strong with “Back in the Day (We Sure Had Some Nights),” a blues rocker packed with electric guitar squeals that evoke moonlight dancing and midnight romancing, backed by hard-hitting drums and a ragtime-style wall piano for rhythm. Wagner’s wife joins on backing vocals, giving the track a fun full-band warmth.
Switching lanes, “Pensacola Sunset Moon” delivers a country-leaning slide guitar standout. It carries shades of Conway Twitty’s “Lost in That Feeling,” but in brighter, major-key territory, while Wagner’s vocal delivery blends a bit of John Prine’s ease with Harry Chapin’s projection. The powerful backing vocals suggest a personal story—possibly even how Wagner met his wife.
The hazy “Florida Night to Remember” opens with Spanish-style guitar picking and a harmonica, settling into a crooning groove with flamenco/Phrygian touches. It’s an easygoing, trail-walking kind of song, with echoes of the Dandy Warhols’ “Sleep” and Dylan and The Band’s Planet Waves era (without as much 7th and minor depression).
From there, “Summershine” goofs into a playful, zydeco-tinged groove, driven by steel drum synth and a walking bassline. It’s a lighthearted ode to sunshine, blue skies, and the seasonal lift that comes with them—complete with energetic synth and electric guitar flourishes.
There’s a plethora of different instrumentation within the album, and a story begins to emerge. “He Still Calls Her Babe” offers a soft, mandolin-laced country moment centered on long-term love—the kind that plays out in kitchens and living rooms long after the kids have grown tired of seeing it. It’s a sweet empty-nester reflection, carried along by a bongo rhythm.
“Every Dream,” built upon a 12-string acoustic, recalls the precious moments of the boy who would eventually yell at his parents for making out in the living room and kitchen for all of those years while the fiddle-driven country crooner “Empty” slows things down further—it’s a great downer track and Wagner’s voice cracks just enough to sell it.
“Galactically Fantastic” pulls the album’s themes together, blending its warmth, humor, and Buffett-style ease. It was Galactically Fantastic, as Wagner strums along. There’s a whole army of backing angelic harmonies in this one, too, as the lead guitar fillers and chimes carry over the blues organ.
“You Can’t Drink All Day” brings the rowdy side back, opening with a Southern rock swagger that nods toward Skynyrd, delivering the tongue-in-cheek “You Can’t Drink All Day” lyric, setting up the joke in the chorus. The song is somewhat of a mid-day, drunken golf course green singalong—it’s awesome.
The title track, “Long, Long Way,” recaps things out in full yacht-rock warmth, reflecting on a shared life journey—from New Jersey and Pennsylvania roots to Florida nights and, eventually, serene Tennessee lake life.
Glen Wagner’s all about the good times, man. Through life, liberty and the pursuit of it all.
Find Glen Wagner’s Long, Long Way across the icons at Apple Music, Spotify, Amazon, YouTube and Anghami.
