A dozen years ago, Sean Thomas Gerard burst on to the Wilmington music scene with folk-rock outfit Onward, Soldiers, winning fans with such sharply written rockers as "Cinder Blocks" and, later, dreamy ballads including "Gentle Man."
Now an elder statesman of the local scene at just 33, Gerard is preparing to release his second full-length solo album. "Finally Found a Paradise" -- a textured, nuanced expression of domestic bliss -- comes out March 30 on Wilmington-based label Fort Lowell Records.
"I used to struggle to write happy songs. I wanted to write happy songs," Gerard said during a phone interview. "I'm happier with myself now, with my life. Having a kid gave me purpose."
That kid would be Jovie, his daughter with wife Heather. Gerard's fans met his now-20-month-old daughter a year ago in a song he named for her. "Jovie" comes off like a lushly melodic ray of sunshine, and it serves as a touchstone of sorts on "Finally Found a Paradise."
The song "Loser" -- about a former friend who fell from Gerard's good graces -- is the only one of the album's eight tunes to carry anything like a discontented edge. The rest are warm and fuzzy in the best possible way, smile-inducingly potent expressions of love and happiness.
"This record has got to be my most personal," Gerard said. "It's just a reflection of where I am in my life. I used to write about a lot of darker subjects. I was in a darker place ... If I start to write dark songs again, maybe come check on me."
In the hands of someone less eloquent, domestic bliss could sound cliche or even cheesy. On "Finally Found a Paradise," however, Gerard renders moments in ways that are both poetic and profound, paired with a sound that lilts along dreamily, like thoughts that are walking on air.
Speaking of which -- the song "Walking on Air" has a lazily bouncy Beatles feel with lyrics about finding that missing puzzle piece. "Strange & Electrifying," while less twangy than some of Gerard's output with Onward, Soldiers, maintains an arena-worthy pop-rock vibe, with an anthemic chorus and lyrics that are less than straightforward but that conjure the picture of a rewarding relationship.
Gerard, who grew up in Pittsburgh, said his lyrics used to be "more vague. I thought that was cool or something."
Now, he's found a way to deliver meaning without being too obvious about it, an approach that works with the upbeat yet cool rock sound displayed throughout "Finally Found a Paradise."
"My stuff in the past has been a little more all over the place" sound-wise, Gerard said. "I wanted something that tied together," which led to the keyboard-heavy approach he uses on much of the new album.
It's a sound that can fit in with, and is made from, any number of genres, from folk and rock to pop and plenty of blue-eyed soul.
Making appearances on the album are Wilmington's "one-take wonder," Bob Russell, on pedal steel, and Gerard's childhood friend Kim Greenwood, who Gerard calls one of the best technical guitarists he's ever known.
No release show for the album is planned yet, but Gerard said he'd like to give the record a proper celebration in a live setting later this year if possible.
"I thinking maybe something outdoors," he said.
"I thinking maybe something outdoors," he said.
