Folk-pop symphonies that will take you back to nature
Brooklyn-based band The Shot Heard 'Round the World release their debut pop-meets-folk full-length offering 'Ten Songs for Town and Country', which follows on from their self-released 3" CD of home-recorded tracks. Having toured Western America, songwriters J. Alexander Farrell and Timothy Miles Bean retreated to a remote cabin in Vermont where they set about recording the eleven track album. The idea behind this was to isolate themselves from the outside world, to be at one with nature and everything they were writing about. This certainly comes across in the record, with emotive melodies and lyrics portraying the essence of nature and its variety of expressions, creating a work that essentially celebrates nature and the feelings of beauty it evokes.
The array of instruments employed on the album is particularly impressive, with glockenspiels, violins, tambourines, percussion and even feedback used for atmospheric effect. "Town and Country" consists of colourful imagery coupled with quaint harmonies and shimmering guitar, complemented by a xylophone ditty. At the other end of the scale, "Darker, Darker" is dark and moody, encompassing haunting violins and bass in conjunction with dirty, distorted lead guitar to close. A glockenspiel opens "Cassiopeia" with a gentle melody, to be joined by typical folk guitar and discrete piano, resolving to a culmination of guitar harmonies. The quality of such musicianship prevails throughout the album, ensuring that the busy and intricate layers of sound are completely crystal clear and compliment each other, rather than stepping on each others toes.
Although personally this album isn't quite to my taste, it is testament to its quality and musicianship that I still appreciate it and find it an interesting listen. Fans of folk, country or gentle symphonic pop will no doubt adore this work. The soundscapes and atmospheric tunes produced are captivating, and could possibly be likened to a lying in the warm, hazy summer sun looking up at the sky.