The Redemption Center are a little bit country. But they’re also a little bit rock and roll. If these phrases sound familiar, so will this band’s newest release, Land of Plenty. Twelve tracks of country rock deliver observations about life, struggle and happiness, complete with Biblical undertones. On a technical level, the six musicians behind Land of Plenty are sufficiently talented, even if their songwriting and lyrical inspiration isn’t wildly original. Land of Plenty is laden with upbeat, mid-tempo tracks that alternate between rock n’ roll and country music, making for pleasant-listening, even if the experience isn’t especially thought provoking. Without breaking any musical barriers, The Redemption Center are good at what they do, and will doubtless find a faithful niche within the country/rock world.

Land of Plenty’s 12 tracks blend together well, indicating that the songs are not especially distinct, but also that the band has developed a good sense of flow and stay true to their strengths. Still, even successful musical formulas can benefit from some experimentation. In some areas The Redemption Center achieve this, such as the introduction of moving piano melodies. Such an addition diverts many tracks away from classic country and introduces an element of alt. rock reminiscent of Minnesota group The Hold Steady.

Lyrics make an attempt to delve into the real substance of life, but sometimes fall short and rely heavily on clichés, such as in the track “The Boy Who Shed His Skin,” which focuses on popular themes of renewal and redemption without presenting such subjects through especially captivating prose. Such trite descriptions are a trend in many songs, however this is unlikely to deter listeners drawn in by the catchy, pleasant, and competent country rock crafted by Redemption Center.
Religious references in the lyrics nudges Land of Plenty towards worship music that deals also with life trials. Despite their lack of literary genius, lyrics are relatable and display a high degree of human intuition. Such a human element in songwriting pairs nicely with pleasant instrumentation and solid if familiar melodies, and is sure to win a strong following.

The opening track, “Timothy’s Rag,” is upbeat and optimistic. It does not prepare the listener for the country flavor of the rest of the album and lends variety to Land of Plenty. The following song, “The Boy Who Shed His Skin,” is similar; pretty, pleasant, a little slower and touching, with a hint of country.

The title track showcases Stephen Smith’s vocals, which blend well with instrumentals. Smith’s delivery makes for easy, pleasant listening, largely due to his good pitch and genre-appropriate timbre. Other tracks like “The Life That Should Have Been Mine” are simple while being highly relatable. “Parcel of My Heart” is playful and replete with country twang. Lyrics are cute, clever, and reflective of a modern love life in an Internet age.

“A Man Who Knows a Few Things” is sadder and slower, a nice change of pace featuring classic country lyrics about life and hardships. The introduction of piano and harmonica is pleasant and provides for dynamic instrumentation; however songwriting relies a little too much on repetition

Several tracks lack the charm of their predecessors. “Six Years and a Day” is stripped down and simple; a nice style for The Redemption Center to explore further, but here it is a little too syrupy pop to be really interesting or moving. “Showdown” features plenty of twang, but the swinging rhythm gets repetitive, making this track Land of Plenty’s weakest offering, with an unfinished feeling and lacking the comfortable balance of stronger tracks between instruments and vocals. “Forever Without You” initially captures the listeners’ attention, but weakens when it loses its country edge, as the combination of rock and country are one of The Redemption Center’s greatest strengths. Without this blending of genres, “Forever Without You” leans towards generic poppy rock, marked by a mediocre guitar solo in need of a little extra flavor to keep listeners reaching for the repeat button.

The Redemption Center regain their music footing with “I’m Afraid of You.” This track is more rock, less country, with strong instrumental sections and pleasant male and female vocal harmonies. However, lyrics rely heavily on clichés, such as “mind over matter, brain over brawn.” From an exclusively musical standpoint, however, “I’m Afraid of You” is a strong offering.

Similarly, “Raise Up the Ghost” is darker, pretty, and enjoyable. Lyrics suggest religious undertones and the conclusion features a hint of organ, an intriguing addition that listeners are likely to want more of. The closing track, “In My Mother’s House,” also features religious references. The song displays more skillful songwriting: pretty and melodic, slow and sweet, with a conclusive tone.

Of Land of Plenty’s 12 tracks, those that incorporate a country flavor, or display creativity in their blend of country and rock, are the most intriguing and enjoyable. It is The Redemption Center’s ability to use both genres to communicate about highly relatable life themes that makes them more interesting than just another generic rock or country band. Nevertheless, there is much terrain to be covered in both genres, and listeners will benefit from this group’s further exploration of their own talent and inspiration.

Review by Kendra Atleework

Kendra Atleework, Reviews Land of Plenty, The Redemption Center

Amusement parks have got to be one of the most crowded places on the planet. Seriously, we’re all dying to fork over a paycheck to stand in four-hour lines. And for what? Roller coasters. We love them, for a number of reasons: adrenaline, speed, stimulation, risk, energy, power, and, most importantly, a break in the mundane, the trivial, the daily.  Australia’s The on Fires provide a similar package with their full-length Betrayer, replete with 15 songs that truthfully embody the old cliché in music reviews: no two songs sound alike. You’ll be riveted to your seat throughout the ride.

The on Fires are a rock band. But they’re also an electronic rock band. And an indie rock band. And a punk rock band. And a trance-jam band. It’s all here on Betrayer. This group knows how to appeal to modern audiences who thrive on variety and genre-bending, as well as versatility within individual songs. They are clearly well on their way to harnessing an original rather than merely easily popularized sound, even if they still have a few small steps to go.  Tracks on Betrayer are long but diverse and with an interesting structure. Each track’s road map has obviously been carefully crafted. While the group could improve their already excellent songwriting even further by choosing a strength and sticking to it, such variety on one record does provide an interesting listen.

Faster songs are characterized by shouted group choruses, catchy, aggressive riffs, and dynamic vocals. An excellent example of this style is the first track, “Coming Home,” which is one of the album’s highlights. The roadmap, riddled with rises and falls, is vividly reminiscent of Six Flags’ Goliath. This is a real rock song ala AC/DC, with group shouts invoking oi punk.

The third track, “Precious Injury,” is notable in its introduction of electronic elements, taking on an industrial/club edge and reminding the listener slightly of new era AFI or Blaqk Audio. “Melancholy” and its instrumental introduction are slow and trancelike. Piano and guitar wail, overlaid by sad and plaintive lyrics. As with many tracks on Betrayer, reverb is so thick that guitars, drums and vocals are often wet to the point of dripping.  The listener is taken in an entirely new direction with the sixth track “Without,” a mid-tempo psychedelic jam. Heavy reverb, especially on the drums, bogs the music down slightly, as does repetition, but this track does add the The on Fires impressive range in genre.

Another highlight is “Open Arms.” Female vocals are tough while incorporating pretty harmonies. The shouted call and response chorus is playfully reminiscent of Green Day. The track is punky while maintaining classic elements of rock and roll.

Betraryer also boasts several indie rock tracks. “Sorry Now” and “Skeleton” are cute and pleasant, reminiscent of Arctic Monkeys or Cut Off Your Hands. However these songs incorporate synth and heavy production, which is prevalent throughout the album. Such production seems unnecessary given the already hooky, skillful songwriting. Tricks like these blur the band’s energy and passion, and the listener, while trying to focus on a solid guitar riff or clever melody, may be easily distracted by layers of affects. Similarly, “Nobody Wants” shows potential for gripping energy, but a marsh of synth and effects strip it of some of its rawness.

“Island” is an especially interesting track, beginning with a punky, spoken rant. Vocal delivery here is similar to indie rock darlings Dismemberment Plan, adding further diversity to the repertoire of The on Fires. However, a clappy chorus detracts from the song’s original lure.

Another highlight off Betrayer is the twelfth track “Hotel Room.” Clever lyrics about an affair are delivered through pretty male and female vocal harmonies. “Hotel Room” is catchy to the point of being contagious. There’s nothing wildly new going on here, but this is bound to be one of the most fun pop rock songs of the summer.

The title track is a relative disappointment compared to the songwriting prowess displayed by The on Fires on other songs. “Betrayer” is a dirge-like ballad, slow with excessive effects. Seemingly plucked from a rock opera, this closing track diverges from the honest and fun-loving tone of most of the album.

The more exciting and original tracks on Betrayer are the faster ones and those that fall within the realm of indie rock. The on Fires have a remarkable skill when it comes to writing hooky vocal and instrumental parts. However it is difficult to determine where this band’s heart lies: with the electronic beats, trance-jams, indie rock jingles, or the punky ballads.  While the diversity that this band harnesses can be of great benefit, more work in the areas that interest them the most will lead these musicians to harnessing a more original sound.   Similarly, while The on Fires are undoubtedly passionate, lesser production may contribute to this album and help the band explore their musical expertise. As the band grows and develops, listeners can most likely expect future releases to rely more heavily on creativity and songwriting talent than reverb and production.

Perhaps it would primarily behoove this group to step away from the safe zones of the genres they explore: trying something new and different with the synth, avoiding tried and true rock riffs, and shrugging the mask of heavy production. No matter which strength they choose to hone, there is no doubt that The on Fires will continue to provide listeners with the ride of their lives.

Review by Kendra Atleework

Kendra Atleework, Reviews Betrayer, The On Fires

Everything’s better bilingual. True to their California roots, San Francisco quintet La Muñeca y Los Muertos incorporate not only lyrics in English and Spanish but a diverse aesthetic and musical style. The resulting album serves as an intricate collage of two of the major cultures that make up our state and country. And at the same time, La Muñeca y Los Muertos are simply good to listen to.

Their 2010 debut release invokes ska-pop favorites like No Doubt or Reel Big Fish, as well as Latin rock and pop artists such as Julieta Venegas. Top it off with a sprinkle of rockabilly and a grinning calavera and you have Estrella, or “Star” in English, a combination of cultures and musical genres that is both original and well balanced.

This debut was not hastily released. Estrella is the product of a band who has been playing together since 2004, and the album has been carefully thought out, rehearsed, and pieced together, characterized by skillful musicianship and tight, professional arrangements. Melodies are aggressive and memorable while remaining catchy and skank-able, as ska should be. Such genre-melding is perhaps the most interesting thing about this album. It is the factor that sets La Muñeca y Los Muertos significantly beyond similar contemporary acts. For example, La Muñeca y Los Muertos may vaguely resemble Girl in a Coma, a group focusing on a Latina aesthetic and rockabilly sound, and it is easy to draw countless comparisons with ska and Mexican rock bands alike, from the Specials to Mana. However, in combining genres and cultures smoothly in one album, La Muñeca y Los Muertos do what their peers fail to. In a way, La Muñeca y Los Muertos act not only as artistic but social heralds. They add something new and interesting to contemporary pop rock, and in doing so they paint a complex picture of a contemporary, multicultural California.

Most tracks are enthusiastic and upbeat, harnessing just enough aggression to avoid falling short at cheesy. Many are characterized by creative start/stop rhythmic patterns. Some of the most memorable include track two, “Star:” a great ska-rock song, catchy and fondly memorable while remaining technically formidable and musically tight. The third track, “World,” is marked by an intriguing conclusion reminiscent of Tiger Army. The fifth track, “El Salvador,” is perhaps the strongest offering on Estrella. It incorporates a Latin flavor with a dose of ska and Spanish lyrics. The track is cute, catchy, smart, and overall memorable. The seventh track, “Los Muertos,” is also interesting in its heavy incorporation of ska and bi-lingual lyrics, while the following track “Electric Car” veers more towards rockabilly.

The band’s image and personality is reminiscent of the Mexican bingo game Loteria that serves as a motif throughout their aesthetic. Familiar to some from childhood and to others from high school Spanish class, Loteria incorporates brightly colored cards decorated with caricatures: El Borracho, El Valiente, La Araña. Each is rendered in pen and ink, intricate, colorful, distinct. Among the squares on the bingo cards are La Muñeca and La Muerte: the doll, and the dead. Forceful front woman Muñeca Osorio takes on the loteria token of la muñeca. Osorio’s voice and guitar are striking, her lyrics clever and smart, and her personality as a performer riveting. Simultaneously the imagery and cultural references that she so skillfully incorporates into Estrella give the music powerful cohesion and added artistic appeal.

Estrella the album is danceable and appealing, yet La Muñeca y Los Muertos challenge expectations of a diverse fanbase, successfully carrying us to unexpected heights. A multicultural band in a multicultural state, they’re combining the best of many genres, and many worlds.

Review by Kendra Atleework

Kendra Atleework, Reviews Estrella, La Muñeca y Los Muertos

What punker kid didn’t get her start listening to The Casualties, Anti-Flag, and The Unseen?  Weren’t we all once standing in the sweaty Converse now filled by a skinny 15-year-old with purple bangs, bobbing her head in front of the Vans stage at Warped Tour?   We might try to deny our past.  We have moved on to what we call real hardcore punk.  But there’s something to be said for the good old stuff, the high school introduction to an aesthetic, both aural, political, and artistic, that made us devote our lives to punk rock in one way or another.

Philadelphia’s Combat Crisis embodies that aesthetic with stark, political lyrics, mohawks, nose rings, Minor Threat T-shirts, and a sound that could make the snobbiest vinyl connoisseur nostalgic for her first punk show.  Musically, the band takes few risks and falls short of achieving originality in sound.  Instrumentation resembles speedy oi! punk.  Face the Crowd’s unrelenting reliance on power chords is punctuated by guitar solos that hint at showier genres, and the production is razor sharp, too sharp, steering this album towards the realm of metal.  While these factors push the album away from original, away from punk, and towards something more mainstream and processed, such shortcomings don’t stop Face the Crowd from being fast and loud and honest.  Being in the presence of music like that is exciting, no matter what nook of the punk scene you’ve grown into.

Despite a hint of staleness in riffs and chord progressions and a lack of musical exploration, many individual songs on this 2009 full-length achieve a sound distinct from one another.  “We Represent” is showy, featuring extensive guitar soloing, along with classic group shouts.  “Fool Me Twice” is catchy, more dynamic and interesting than many other tracks. The title track features shouted oi! call and response with a vocal chorus that resembles the Addicts, falling short of originality.  “40 CCs” is fast and staccato, seasoned with interesting guitar melodies throughout.  On “Misled” guitar soloing returns, and the track comes close to resembling a guitar hero favorite until an interesting, slow post-punk section comes to the rescue.  “Face the Crowd” is most memorable due to the political incorporation of sampling.  “Nothing to Lose” is a solid track with catchy, classic punk riffs.

Combat Crisis earns applause for the impressive chops of front woman Elisha Cause.  It is to the great benefit of the scene when women break into the male-dominated world of punk rock, especially when these women, like Cause, are talented musicians.  Cause’s vocals are raspy and powerful, gruff and touch like punk should be.  Even better, Cause uses her vantage point as front woman to speak out against socio-political issues such as rape.  Discourse surrounding these issues has been co-opted by predominantly male-fronted bands who play male-attended shows.  As a result, in the majority of contemporary punk communities, males self-righteously identify as feminists and talk about women’s issues, without including women in the scene.  As the front woman of Combat Crisis, Cause strikes a mighty blow against a patriarchal subculture that presumes to be egalitarian, and for this she should be exalted by both male and female fans.

So Combat Crisis aren’t musically original, but they are breaking social and political barriers.  This begs the question: do the musical barriers matter?  A front man of a Los Angeles hardcore punk band once said something very wise before beginning his set.  Just as Combat Crisis address men and women in the punk community when they play shows or distribute their record, this front man spoke to a crowd of people who embrace counter-cultural aesthetics.  He made them consider what is behind these aesthetics; what is the purpose of congregating, of making music.   “This music all sounds the same.  It’s the content that matters.”

This is something the Combat Crisis seems to understand very well.  While Face the Crowd breaks no musical barriers, Cause is breaking social barriers, and lyrics promise the smashing of other unjust systems.  While musical creativity and originality may be lacking, energy and passion are not.  Here’s to hoping for even greater growth and some surprises from Combat Crisis’ next release.

Review by Kendra Atleetwork

Kendra Atleework, Reviews Combat Crisis, Face the Crowd

Vices I admire, a four piece out of Denver, Colorado, have crafted a solid rock album. Their sophomore release, The Politics of Apathy, demonstrates both melancholy introspection and angsty passion. Instrumentation is strong, with Mickey Dollar on guitar, Dan Battenhouse on bass, and Mark Towne on drums. David Curtis delivers impressive vocals. Whether crooning or shouting, the man has some powerful lungs.

Recorded at Colorado Sound Studios, The Politics of Apathy is a heavily produced rock album. Vocals range from melodic to screaming- a technique Curtis employs with skill. Instrumentation draws heavily on metal. The high production and catchy, chunky, head-banging guitar riffs lands Vices I Admire solidly in the realm of rock; too polished for punk, too pretty for metal, and too classic for indie. While heavy production and borrowed metal riffs does seem to strip The Politics of Apathy of some authenticity and originality, a tangible passion and honesty behind the music saves this release from falling under the umbrella category of mainstream rock. Listeners won’t be able to avoid being caught up in each distinct track.

Track one, “Keep Killing Me,” is probably the most brutal track on the record, beginning with a curdling scream from Curtis. The rest of the track is consistent in intensity, with a head-banging chorus and some extreme metal riffage. The second song, “Heartbreaker,” is straight-up rock. Curtis shows off his pipes with quick shifts in intensity and a broad vocal range, backed by catchy guitar riffs. “Heartbreaker” is a solid rock hit, though not the most memorable or unique track on the album.

“Sweetest Girl” starts slower, picking up into a foot-tapping ballad interspersed with breakdowns and shifting tempos that provide an engaging aural texture. Again, Curtis’ vocals are showcased, as he accelerates from a slow lament to high-energy screams in mere seconds. “It Is” begins with a gentle snare roll from Towne, who is soon joined by piano and pretty meandering guitar. Curtis changes his timbre in “It Is,” replacing angst with a dark and restrained passion. The track demonstrates the versatility of Vices I admire, invoking masters of angst and subdued reflection Envy on the Coast. “It Is” is one of this release’s strongest offerings.

The fifth track, “Denouement: An Intermezzo,” serves as a melancholy ballad dividing the album. Curtis’ multi-track vocals are sweet and tortured in this brief, poignant interlude. Lyrics invoke maudlin imagery, and the piano is haunting, staying with the listener after the song’s conclusion and drawing her back again and again. “Kiss Kiss” counteracts the sweet sadness of “Denouement: An Intermezzo” with intense and immediate energy, though Curtis’ lyrics and timbre still echo the dark, contemplative undertones that course through the entire album. Instrumentation is vaguely reminiscent of early releases from dark rock kings My Chemical Romance. “Kiss Kiss” is one of the catchiest and most memorable tracks on The Politics of Apathy.

“Go the Spoils” kicks off with Curtis’ banter, monotone at times, invoking the apathy referenced in the album title. The vocals are layered over quintessential, understated guitar and drums of indie rock. The song has a pleasantly haunting cadence, mid-tempo and meandering, with whispered breakdowns and beautifully morose guitar wailing in the background. The conclusion delivers a dark explosion of passion from vocal and instruments alike. On “Apathology,” Curtis is almost rapping, which is somewhat of a disappointing divergence from his incredible vocal competency on other tracks. This delivery causes “Apathology” to veer towards musical territory previously charted by the likes of Linkin Park. Later, Curtis is joined by female backing vocals. The track is mid-tempo and builds gradually to an instrumental break where guitars partake in classic rock riffs. One of the album’s least experimental tracks, it also seems to lack the emotional intensity that carries much of the album.

The last track, “Monster,” is both fast and haunting, full of interesting quirks, such as eerie whistling and grim theological references to the cross. Lyrics, delivered by Curtis in the same almost-rap of the previous track, revolve around pessimistic observations on the human condition. The only track off the album to include profanity, “Monster” doesn’t overdo it, and lines such as fucking is the latest trend add to the passion and angst that Vices I Admire are so adept at capturing.

As a whole, The Politics of Apathy is a solid sophomore album. Vices I Admire harness and release energy effectively, exploring and, for the most part, sticking to their strengths. Listeners can expect this band to mature even further on future records, giving us more of the authentic passion that characterizes their songwriting and musicianship.

Review by Kendra Atleework

Kendra Atleework, Reviews The Politics of Apathy, Vices I Admire

This reviewer has never met David Robert King. In fact this reviewer has spent little time in his native Idaho, or the Northwest, where his live performances are garnering significant attention. This reviewer has never stood in the crowd and watched him play, solo or accompanied by backing band The Lost River Boys, never shared a beer with him after a show.

Nevertheless, King’s Take Me Home EP is familiar. Familiar in a comfortable, nice-guy-you-run-into at the local bar or grocery store kind of way, familiar like a front porch jam session on a summer evening. King’s voice, perfectly pitched, masculine with a suggestion of sensitivity, is comforting; it’s a timbre you’ve heard crooned from the radio since childhood. King’s lyrics follow well-worn trails of loss, love and perseverance. Instrumental backing, heavy on guitar and piano, is pretty and embracing. The structure of King’s vocal and instrumental arrangements echo earlier masters of rock, bluegrass, country, and folk, invoking decades of musical lore.

It comes as no surprise that King is winning over audiences across the continental US. Audiences like what they already know. They like what they hear on the radio, they like arrangements and melodies and lyrics that invoke but do not challenge classic genres, that do not force them to consider music, art, and life in a new way. Take Me Home courts this complacency. It gives them what they want.

The EP’s first track, “Strange Freedom,” is a perfect example. It begins with upbeat drum and guitar, soon be joined by King’s optimistic crooning. The track is uplifting, emotional, about life and love.  There is little to complain about, but also little to engage a listener’s curiosity or lodge in the memory. The title track is a sadder, slower ballad with a heavy americana influence and guitar parts that exhibit a bittersweet twang. Introspective and pretty, “Take Me Home” is a stronger offering than the first track.

The third track, “The Winter,” is also slightly melancholy. Slower sections incorporate an intriguing, ambitious melody, which is unfortunately overshadowed by a chorus that strives for inspirational but may verge on cliché. Lyrics invoking the image of a lover walking away are something that this reviewer has heard many times before.

“Somehow Today” begins with pretty guitar and piano interplay. Vocals are doused in heavy reverb, however, which is slightly distracting, an unnecessary embellishment on King’s solid vocals. Lyrics conjure up engagingly unexpected imagery: That November night is kind of a blur, I remember your uncovered feet. This is a fresh image that sparks curiosity as the lyrics proceed to unfold. With female backing vocals, it is a beautiful song, but by its conclusion remains, predictably, another ballad of troubled love.

The final track “As Closed,” though uplifting and mid-tempo like much of the EP, is the most experimental track on the EP. “As Closed” blends genres, slipping from pretty guitar and piano duets to a barrage of frantic scales and tambourines reminiscent of cabaret. The refrain recalls Jimmy Eat World’s “A Praise Chorus.”

This is not an EP for college radio stations foraging new musical frontiers. Their libraries are already well stocked with the classics. The likes of Bob Dylan, Johnny Cash, and Woody Guthrie have already scoured the territory that King now treads with this 2010 release. Of course, every musician has heroes, influences, and musical soul mates from past eras. Every genre, every great artist, is simply a compound of the past. King is no exception, providing a solid homage to the legends of rock, bluegrass, and country. There is nothing new or out of place on this comfortable little five song EP. It’s easy to slip into, easy to listen to. It won’t keep you up at night reevaluating your life, or your favorite musical genre. Take Me Home is easy, which may also mean that it is easy to forget.

The poignancy and impact of the EP may be limited by its very familiarity. Still, this reviewer has reason to believe that as King’s prowess increases, so will his depth and breadth.

Review by Kendra Atleework

Kendra Atleework, Reviews David Robert King, Take Me Home

This reviewer is a self-proclaimed music snob, who hangs out with other self-proclaimed music snobs. I’m talking about people who quiz each other on the names of Pavement’s successive drummers over lunch. Believe me when I express to you my surprise that this unassuming little EP caught my attention in a big way.

New York quintet Hawk and Dove blends vocals, drums, guitar, bass and violin. These four tracks tap into genres that have lured picky music connoisseurs for decades, from sleepy Americana to driving indie and even post-rock. The result is emotionally riveting, bringing indie firecrackers We Were Promised Jetpacks to mind. Instrumentation is captivating and varied, from minimal, ponderous bass to meandering interplay between violin, guitar and drums. Vocals are dynamic, delivering plaintive lyrics and jumping from genre to genre, occasionally taking on a jazzy warble.

The first track, “Furious Armies, is a plodding ballad tinged with post-rock. Dark, introspective guitar mirrors a subtly restrained passion in the vocals.

The second track, “Stain,” begins as a folksy sing-song reminiscent of Joanna Newsom, and soon builds to an emotional dirge.

The EP’s strongest offering, “Boy on the Moon,” at first seems minimal and plaintive. Even snobs have feelings, and I’ll be returning to this one on lonely city nights. Guitar and violin dance somberly with vocals that are appealingly relatable. The song builds into an epic ballad and collapses into feedback after a satisfying guitar tantrum.

The fourth track, “Muscle Breaks,” is quiet and slow, with pretty strings and sad vocals reminiscent of folk darlings The Decemberists.

Those who look down their noses at Top 40 charts will find something to embrace about Hawk and Dove’s first offering “Rocking Chair.” And whether or not we admit it, we’ll all be eagerly awaiting the full length.

Reviewed by Kendra Atleework

Kendra Atleework, Reviews Hawk and Dove, Rocking Chair

“Knitting Songs” is pure candy. If you have a sweet tooth, expect to be drawn in. Each song is a different treat: Reese’s, gumdrops, Tootsie Rolls, and yes, the occasional Warhead with the punchy track “Bitch.”

Savannah’s honeycomb voice melts with ethereal strings and piano, building and releasing tension with smooth expertise. Savannah harnesses a modern-folk vibe, adding another dimension to her sound best described as classical folk. This aesthetic is enhanced by whimsical, story-telling lyrics rich in imagery, one of the album’s strongest qualities.

Like any sugary indulgence, “Knitting Songs” sometimes sends the listener running for contrasting flavors and textures. Most tracks are just so very pretty. But exquisite strings and a few unexpected hits of spice rescue the album from the territory of adult contemporary already plundered by the likes of Anna Nalick.

Savannah’s strengths are most evident in the introspective and gorgeous “Little Girl” and “Long Way to Go,” a sadder, folk number with smoky saxophones meandering through the background.

While listeners may experience insulin spikes after listening to “Knitting Songs” in one sitting, no amount of willpower will keep you from returning again and again to the most delicious of Savannah’s concoctions.

Reviewed By Kendra Atleework

Kendra Atleework Knitting Songs, Savannah Jo Lack