Courtesy Photo From left to right are Freelance Philosophers Brian Silver, Forrest Maher and Jason Hollembeak.

With an underlying theme of maintaining a compassionate spirit through trying times, the new Freelance Philosophers album takes us where love and triumph meet loss, heartbreak and alienation.

Alpena-based multi-instrumentalist Brian Silver sets the mood and tones with a sonic variety on this new effort. Silver composed and recorded these songs on keyboards while handling all guitar and bass on the new release.

Alpena native and Lakewood, Ohio-based Forrest Maher wrote all lyrical arrangements and fronts the band vocally. He also created the paintings used for the album and the recording artwork.

Chicago’s Jason Hollembeak sets the pace and dynamics on drums and percussion. He did the typeset for the album cover.

An undying spirit of resilience and optimism drives this diverse collection.

Maher’s lyrics weave tales of triumph and tragedy, encouraging a thoughtfulness driven by determination.

Hollembeak holds it together like a steady friend at your side.

This trio version of FP serves up songs that are thought evoking, yet tight and simple.

“Keep the River Wide” is their 11th studio album, the third album in as many years with recording engineer James Kananen at his Bad Racket Recording Studios in Cleveland, Ohio. This new release from FP delivers provocative story lines that ignite insight while touching lightly on the simplicity of living well.

Silver and Maher have known each other since childhood in the 1970s in northeastern Michigan and created their first musical recording together in 1996 when Silver contributed one of his nature photographs for the album art to a stripped down collection of acoustic songs of Maher’s recorded by Alpena’s Steve Rea. Silver and Maher then continued their musical journey playing together with a 2001 release and have worked together on every album since.

Maher and Hollembeak go back to 1992 in Chicago, completing their first album together there in 1993.

Alpena natives Matthew Schaffer, Michael Carnahan, Matthew Woolman, and Joseph Bastow assisted with production efforts. North Carolina’s Todd Mayberry also contributed.

They aim to move you, keep you moving, encourage you to pace yourself, and to “Keep the River Wide.”

Their new album was just released Sept. 7, and can be heard through their website at freelancephilosophers.com and most online platforms including Apple, Spotify, Amazon, YouTube, Pandora, Tidal, and more. For more information, contact info@freelancephilosophers.com.