May 15 2026

Wiser Time — There’s A Change A‑Comin’

By Lee Zimmerman

If the moniker he’s chosen says anything about Carmen Sclafani — better known as Wiser Time — it’s that he sees himself as a kind of modern‑day seer, a troubadour channeling hard truths from the folk gods of old. That may sound grandiose, but the reality is far more grounded. His insights arrive in a plainspoken, boots‑on‑the‑ground manner, carried by a mournful voice and the bare‑bones strum of an acoustic guitar.

On his latest album, the pointedly titled There’s A Change A‑Comin’, Wiser Time walks the same dusty paths Dylan once roamed. Coincidence? Hardly. There’s enough turmoil in today’s world to give protest music a fresh mandate. And Wiser Time leans into it — a timeless troubadour rallying the weary with lessons worth relearning.

Each track rings with resilience. There’s angst, anger, judgment, and a steady finger pointed at arrogance and greed. Like Dylan in his prime, Wiser Time doesn’t flinch when naming the oppressors. “Barabbas” revisits the Roman prisoner spared by Pilate, while “1963” rewinds to a year that cracked history open and ensured nothing would ever be the same.

Elsewhere, songs like “Cold Hard World,” “Divided,” “The People’s House,” and “Billionaire Blues” carry the same fire — haunting, harrowing, stripped to the bone. The threadbare arrangements only sharpen the message.

In the end, Wiser Time channels the sentiment of Seeger, the gravitas of Guthrie, and the determination of Dylan. The change may be a‑comin’, but the clarity is already here.

Lee Zimmerman- is a freelance music writer whose articles have appeared in several leading music industry publications. A former promotions representative for ABC and Capitol Records and director of communications for various CBS-affiliated television stations, he lives in Maryville, Tennessee.

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