Large River Music
Kate Campbell has been making American folk music for over a decade, and her experience is evident in Save the Day, an independently released, well-crafted, twelve-track album. With strong sense of narrative and the recurring themes of faith and rural life, Campbell’s music harkens back to old school country musicians like Loretta Lynn and Johnny Cash. In a sense, Save the Day, feels like a record from another time; the minimally produced sound evokes a live performance, and the simple, comforting lyrics are a sharp contrast to the irony and angst preferred in most contemporary popular music. With a calm, even tempo and nary a curse word to be found, this is an album you could listen to with your conservative grandparents.
The songs that stand out are the ones with universal appeal—like the soul-searching title track; “Dark Night of the Soul,” a heartfelt song about mourning; or “Color of Love,” a haunting story of abuse that does justice to the folk tradition of social commentary. Songs about small town life, “Welcome to Ray” and “Fordlandia,” are catchy, but Campbell’s short narratives ultimately lack real teeth. I suspect a songwriter as powerful as Campbell could offer more than affectionate snapshots. While her songs about the pop culture of Jesus and Elvis lovers are endearing, I can’t help wishing the songs had something more to say.
The album as a whole is a great listen. Campbell’s strong voice and the accompanying guitar score are melodious and easy on the ears. In the end, it is her consistently folksy lyrics that keep this from being a perfect album, though perhaps this is a result of hearing too much from Sarah Palin. With such a great musical sound, this album will undoubtedly be enjoyed by many listeners.
The songs that stand out are the ones with universal appeal—like the soul-searching title track; “Dark Night of the Soul,” a heartfelt song about mourning; or “Color of Love,” a haunting story of abuse that does justice to the folk tradition of social commentary. Songs about small town life, “Welcome to Ray” and “Fordlandia,” are catchy, but Campbell’s short narratives ultimately lack real teeth. I suspect a songwriter as powerful as Campbell could offer more than affectionate snapshots. While her songs about the pop culture of Jesus and Elvis lovers are endearing, I can’t help wishing the songs had something more to say.
The album as a whole is a great listen. Campbell’s strong voice and the accompanying guitar score are melodious and easy on the ears. In the end, it is her consistently folksy lyrics that keep this from being a perfect album, though perhaps this is a result of hearing too much from Sarah Palin. With such a great musical sound, this album will undoubtedly be enjoyed by many listeners.
Review by Jennifer Burgess
0 comments:
Post a Comment