The Farewell Drifters - Yellow Tag Mondays
2010, Heart Squeeze Records
Nashville’s The Farewell Drifters take instrumentation that’s a bit more traditional: 2 acoustic guitars, mandolin, fiddle, upright bass, and write wonderfully smart pop tunes in a bluegrass style. It’s rare to find a band that appeals to both traditional bluegrass fans as well as to unsuspecting fans in rock clubs, but The Farewell Drifters seem able to bridge that gap. Singer/songwriter/guitarist Zach Bevill may be out front, but the whole band provides vocals, and everyone is integral to The Farewell Drifters’ sound. Lead guitarist Clayton Britt, mandolin player Joshua Britt, Dean Marold (bass) and Christian Sedelmyer (fiddle) fill out the lineup of a band you’re going to be hearing more of over time. The Farewell Drifters release their third album, Yellow Tag Mondays, on June 8, 2010.
Yellow Tag Mondays opens with "Love We Left Behind", wonderful newgrass tune about trying to get back to where a relationship started. The song features gorgeous vocal harmonies reminiscent of The Eagles or The Oak Ridge Boys, and despite the easy feel to the arrangement there's a lot of life in the instrumentation. "Everyone Is Talking" has a slightly more pop feel to it in spite of a deeper bluegrass feel to the music. "For No One" explores the impact of a perfect love gone bad ("In her eyes you see nothing / no sign of love behind the tears / cried for no one / a love that should have lasted years"). Lyrically the song is pure country tragedy, but there's a distinctive intelligence and understanding in the song that rises above the norm.
On "Sunnyside Drive", The Farewell Drifters paint a neo-Rockwellian picture in song of a neighborhood and the forces that drives us to live so close together yet so far. It's an upbeat tune in a vibrant arrangement that's a pleasure to listen to. "All We Need" is an uplifting tune about the simplicity and resilience of the human heart. The Farewell Drifters have an almost carefree feel to them here, punctuating their feel good music with some highly impressive runs and fills. Everything gets turned up a notch on "Virginia Bell", a song about moving to a new city with your love only to see her stolen away by another boy. It's a high energy romp that's simply irresistible.
The Farewell Drifters go for an old school sound on "Love Me Good & Plain", a brilliant love song that features the gorgeous vocal harmonies the band should be known for. "Please Dream Of Me Tonight" is a sweet and searching love song, dressed up in a simple yet full arrangement that fits perfectly. "I've Got Your Heart In My Hand, And I'm Gonna Squeeze" is a solid instrumental that allows the band to show off a bit before transitioning into the melancholic "Old Friends"; reminiscence about times and people gone by. "Wake Up" is a call to action, and to remember where we came from as we face difficult times. The song deals with the decline of the American Dream in distinctive terms, and is delivered in a gentle, easy arrangement that belies the urgency of the lyrics. Yellow Tag Mondays bows with "Somewhere Down The Road" as The Farewell Drifters move into more traditional bluegrass mode for a delightful closer.
The Farewell Drifters fare well with Yellow Tag Mondays. The songwriting is even and consistent throughout the album; eminently tuneful with great energy and outstanding harmonies. The consistency may be too great at times, creating an impression that they're not a lot of dynamic diversity on the album. It's not true, but much of the energy is beneath the melodic surface of the songs, but is in the nuance and complexity of the instrumental arrangements. This is a musician's album, one where the details may get a bit lost on casual listeners. Nevertheless, Yellow Tag Mondays is very well done.
Rating: 4 Stars (Out of 5)
2010, Heart Squeeze Records
Nashville’s The Farewell Drifters take instrumentation that’s a bit more traditional: 2 acoustic guitars, mandolin, fiddle, upright bass, and write wonderfully smart pop tunes in a bluegrass style. It’s rare to find a band that appeals to both traditional bluegrass fans as well as to unsuspecting fans in rock clubs, but The Farewell Drifters seem able to bridge that gap. Singer/songwriter/guitarist Zach Bevill may be out front, but the whole band provides vocals, and everyone is integral to The Farewell Drifters’ sound. Lead guitarist Clayton Britt, mandolin player Joshua Britt, Dean Marold (bass) and Christian Sedelmyer (fiddle) fill out the lineup of a band you’re going to be hearing more of over time. The Farewell Drifters release their third album, Yellow Tag Mondays, on June 8, 2010.
Yellow Tag Mondays opens with "Love We Left Behind", wonderful newgrass tune about trying to get back to where a relationship started. The song features gorgeous vocal harmonies reminiscent of The Eagles or The Oak Ridge Boys, and despite the easy feel to the arrangement there's a lot of life in the instrumentation. "Everyone Is Talking" has a slightly more pop feel to it in spite of a deeper bluegrass feel to the music. "For No One" explores the impact of a perfect love gone bad ("In her eyes you see nothing / no sign of love behind the tears / cried for no one / a love that should have lasted years"). Lyrically the song is pure country tragedy, but there's a distinctive intelligence and understanding in the song that rises above the norm.
On "Sunnyside Drive", The Farewell Drifters paint a neo-Rockwellian picture in song of a neighborhood and the forces that drives us to live so close together yet so far. It's an upbeat tune in a vibrant arrangement that's a pleasure to listen to. "All We Need" is an uplifting tune about the simplicity and resilience of the human heart. The Farewell Drifters have an almost carefree feel to them here, punctuating their feel good music with some highly impressive runs and fills. Everything gets turned up a notch on "Virginia Bell", a song about moving to a new city with your love only to see her stolen away by another boy. It's a high energy romp that's simply irresistible.
The Farewell Drifters go for an old school sound on "Love Me Good & Plain", a brilliant love song that features the gorgeous vocal harmonies the band should be known for. "Please Dream Of Me Tonight" is a sweet and searching love song, dressed up in a simple yet full arrangement that fits perfectly. "I've Got Your Heart In My Hand, And I'm Gonna Squeeze" is a solid instrumental that allows the band to show off a bit before transitioning into the melancholic "Old Friends"; reminiscence about times and people gone by. "Wake Up" is a call to action, and to remember where we came from as we face difficult times. The song deals with the decline of the American Dream in distinctive terms, and is delivered in a gentle, easy arrangement that belies the urgency of the lyrics. Yellow Tag Mondays bows with "Somewhere Down The Road" as The Farewell Drifters move into more traditional bluegrass mode for a delightful closer.
The Farewell Drifters fare well with Yellow Tag Mondays. The songwriting is even and consistent throughout the album; eminently tuneful with great energy and outstanding harmonies. The consistency may be too great at times, creating an impression that they're not a lot of dynamic diversity on the album. It's not true, but much of the energy is beneath the melodic surface of the songs, but is in the nuance and complexity of the instrumental arrangements. This is a musician's album, one where the details may get a bit lost on casual listeners. Nevertheless, Yellow Tag Mondays is very well done.
Rating: 4 Stars (Out of 5)
Learn more about The Farewell Drifters at http://www.thefarewelldrifters.com/ or www.myspace.com/thefarewelldrifters. Yellow Tag Mondays drops on June 8, 2010. You can order the album as part of several packages in the band's web store.
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1 comment:
""For No One" explores the impact of a perfect love gone bad ("In her eyes you see nothing / no sign of love behind the tears / cried for no one / a love that should have lasted years"). Lyrically the song is pure country tragedy, but there's a distinctive intelligence and understanding in the song that rises above the norm."
You do know that "For No One" is a Beatles song, right? It is a wonderful cover by the Drifters, but it was written by John Lennon and Paul McCartney.
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