The key word for this album is harmony. There is harmony in the vocals of husband and wife - Brandon John & Bethaney Foote ( "old world principles with new world delivery") and in the gentle, acoustic song arrangements.
The contented couple are backed by Seth Bernard and Trevor Hobbs of label mates Breath Owl Breathe, a string quartet and other musicians on pedal steel, trumpet, trombone and percussion.
The Footes are from Michigan and their oneness with nature is signified by the fact this record was partly inspired by their time as artists in residence at the Institute for sustainable living, art and natural design (ISLAND) - a non profit arts and ecology center.
The songs have strong melodies with an emphasis more on poetic language than straightforward story telling. Take, for example the alliteration of Phantom Folly's "talking teapot tower of trumpets" and "Bess be my blushing bride".
The obscurity of the lyrics and the lack of strong context means that, however pleasant the tunes, it's hard to engage with the songs in any meaningful way; "two oars and muscle power is what the buckeye gave to me" (Mail From The Westcliff) may roll of the tongue smoothly but doesn't mean much to me.
We are reliably assured that Brandon "strives for authenticity in song with nostalgic nods to the American past" which begs the question as to where the story of St Francis and the Wolf of Gubbio in Italy fits into this framework.
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The opening track, Weimaraner ,takes its title from the name of a hunting dog but the reason for this reference is never made clear. Lines like "My sons drink too much. If Beatrice. She drink too much", not only take liberties with grammar rules but also make you wonder just whose point of view this is.
I realise it's not always essential to know what songs are about but, in this case, some brief background information about the songs on the album sleeve or band website wouldn't have gone amiss. All we are told is that the album contains songs about William Booth (founder of the Salvation Army), Samson. Michigan's upper Peninsula and Harry Houdini.
There's a spirit of holistic grace about this short album but nothing to enlighten the listener as to how to tap into this mood of blissful tranquillity.
Gifts Or Creatures Online
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