There�s beauty in simplicity, a sentiment perfectly illustrated in�Prettiest Blue, the new EP from Appalachian folk duo The Early Mays. The post THE EARLY MAYS: PRETTIEST BLUE EP | ALBUM REVIEW appeared first on Mother Church Pew.
There�s beauty in simplicity, a sentiment perfectly illustrated in�Prettiest Blue, the new EP from Appalachian folk duo The Early Mays. However, don�t misunderstand�simplicity doesn�t mean �simple.� In the first notes of opener �The Ballad Of Johnny Fall,� Emily Pinkerton�s banjo finger-picking constructs an intricate foundation, supported by the deep resonance of guest collaborator Nicole Myers�s cello. Together, their driving, minor-key intensity creates an ominous quality, juxtaposed with the delicate vibrato of Ellen Gozion�s gentle voice. Three elements to build a song � simplicity? Yes. Simple? Not even close.�
It also is worth noting that while The Early Mays� music is steeped in the Appalachian folk tradition, the sentiment is absolutely modern. For example, the structure of �The Ballad Of Johnny Fall� is based on murder ballads of yore. Here, The Early Mays push back against the historical misogyny of the genre, and place the power with the abused woman in this story � however, fate intervenes before she takes matters into her own hands.
In the Pinkerton-penned �On A Dying Day,� inspired by the shores of Lake Michigan, the waves offer redemption to the weary narrator, with the banjo echoing the motion of the rolling water. �On a dying day when the dunes roll down, I�m gonna wear these waves like a wedding gown. Gonna wear these waves over all my skin, in the only place that will take me in,� she sings.�
The band dips into their influences with the final three tracks on the EP; in the instrumental �Shakin� Down The Acorns,� a tune by West Virginia Music Hall of Fame royalty The Hammons Family, reminds us of the Celtic origins of Appalachian music. Pinkerton�s buoyant fiddle dances around the warmth of Gozion�s harmonium and Myers� cello. They take a page from The Carter Family with �Bury Me Under the Weeping Willow��and �My Home�s Across the Blue Ridge Mountains� to finish the EP. Even after a cursory listen, it�s impossible to overlook the care and respect that went into recording these songs, which are, simply put, timeless.
Listen to Pretties Blue by The Early Mays:
Connect with The Early Mays:
WEBSITE | FACEBOOK | INSTAGRAM | YOUTUBE | SPOTIFY
All Photos of The Early Mays by Kristi Jan Hoover
The post THE EARLY MAYS: PRETTIEST BLUE EP | ALBUM REVIEW appeared first on Mother Church Pew.
