Redwing Blackbird had indeed been busy since the last time I caught them. That I could tell, their set featured only new songs - Austin putting down his six nylon strings in exchange for solid-body electricity. The folky acoustic duo here offered a hybrid flavor: strumming and plucking was married to shimmering and warmly driven amplified textures. Mellow, humble songwriting and sincere words sung true and harmonized, remained present and unmistakable. Hearing RWBB play is like getting a hug from a good friend: inviting, calm, refreshing, and reassuring. I'm very much looking forward to their next record, and you should be too.
Redwing Blackbird - Nightingale live on NHPR
Husband and wife Buck and Shanti Curran, a.k.a Arborea, play a delightful blend of airy psychedelic folk/folk rock. A wide variety of instrumentation lends itself to the sweet and sweeping musical backdrop as the duo switch on and off. The twanging of banjo or ukulele, droning of harmonium, or combination timbre of ban-jammer is paired with guitar - sometimes an electric played with EBow or glass slide, other times a steel-string acoustic carefully strummed. This is all transcended by Shanti's crystalline empyrean voice that effortlessly moves through the room and into your chest. Arborea soaks in to your heart and finds it's way to the part of you that resides below surface-level patterns and drama. There it steeps, adding strength to one's purpose and ease to unfolding. Just close your eyes and be.
Arborea - Black Is The Color
Last night was much needed. I've lately found myself in a restricted space, out of tune...unmotivated and unaligned with love. Meeting some new people and sharing the gift of these two band's music, energy, and motion has helped to remind me of where I am called to be - floating along again as my own vector of life's great current, rather than an entity separate and caught in its tides. Thank you.
wow, I wish I could write about music like you.
ReplyDelete