Charlie Parr releases concept album ‘Rooming House’

Roots musician Charlie Parr has released his 20th album, ‘Rooming House’, a concept record exploring the lives of residents in a Duluth, Minnesota, rooming house. The album addresses themes of economic hardship, including the lack of affordable healthcare and the inadequacy of social safety nets.

Recorded in Minneapolis, the stripped-down, bluesy project features Parr on acoustic guitar, accompanied by drummer Dave King and cellist Jacqueline Ultan. The songs draw on Parr’s personal history living in Minnesota rooming houses to depict characters navigating poverty and finding community through empathy and makeshift family structures.