Post Description

Folk.

This effort touches upon a few hefty subjects – creation, natural disasters (tornadoes & hurricanes), the White House, coral reefs, democracy & grief. Sounds like life’s business as usual. But these topics are great song clay in the hands of skillful musicians — to be shaped & molded into something that’s an endless endeavor. What’s wonderful is when good songs can tell a story without being too deeply embellished.

However, Eric Brace (Last Train Home) & Thomm Jutz (Nanci Griffith) apply creativity & originality to their work with care. There are 10 musical contrasts to Circle and Square (Drops Jan 16/Red Beet Records/33:51), their 2nd album, driven by fine acoustic work & harmonies. This showcase was produced & recorded by Andy Kern & Mr. Jutz & laid down in Nashville, TN.

The music & lyrics are a mix of past duos who’ve had similar success in the past – Lowen & Navarro (“Cry”), Vigrass & Osborne (“Virginia”) & the late career country endeavors of the Everly Brothers (“Lord Of the Manor,” “Milk Train”). Story songs are my weakness, so “Thomas Hart Benton” has a fanciful melody in a disciplined performance. Quite good.

At times, had early Elton John continued in a “Tumbleweed Connection” trajectory, he may have written such compositions. “Diego In Detroit,” continues in this rustic balladry style, which is attractive since it isn’t too heavily folky or C&W. The title track “Circle & Square” has pleasant harmonic vocals, with excellent acoustic guitars & is good-natured though nothing special.

There’s nothing edgy or thematically challenging, but there’s a dose of simplicity as quietly compelling as Bob Dylan & the Band’s Basement Tapes. Eric Brace (guitar/vocals) & Thomm Jutz (guitar/banjo/bouzouki/vocals) are professionally recorded, so the sound is even more convincing. Tunes like “Nothing Hurts” have a Basement Tapes quality. It has homegrown cleverness, a rich coating of acoustic guitars & purity.

The gears shift when the duo play “Fontana Dam” — a wonderful, confident dip into Rick Nelson’s Stone Canyon Band country stylization (“Garden Party” LP) if not a touch of what Michael Nesmith & his First National Band (“Silver Moon”) did. These artists seem like unlikely comparisons, but during this era of their careers, they both explored exceptional alt-country styles long before they became popular.

Many tunes have persuasive sides. The instrumentation is pristine. Fans of Gram Parsons, Guy Clark, Townes van Zandt & the like will enjoy these songs. There’s nothing controversial, radical, or juvenile about these self-assured pieces. It’s just music that’s sensitive, meticulous, & with small smoky folk narratives that lay upon an ear like a warm blanket.

Tracks:
01 - 10 to 4
02 - Thomas Hart Benton
03 - Diego in Detroit
04 - Circle and Square
05 - Nothing Hurts
06 - Fontana Dam
07 - Beckmann in the Frame
08 - On the Back of a Horse
09 - Life of the Mind
10 - Wide Open

Staat er compleet op, 10% pars mee gepost. Met zeer veel dank aan de originele poster. Laat af en toe eens weten wat je van het album vindt. Altijd leuk, de mening van anderen. Oh ja, MP3 doe ik niet aan.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=seDkncrVOjg