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Written by Robert Elgin, posted by blog admin
Southern based five piece band Cranford Hollow has undergone a gradual change since they first debuted five albums ago. Much of these changes can likely be lain at the feet of the extensive live experience they’ve accumulated since first forming and their respective personal journeys, but the band that once began as a four piece added a fifth member, Yannie Reynecke, and made a move from the classic country rock fare of the band’s birth towards a fully rounded approach incorporating theatrical elements as well as a stronger rock and singer/songwriter influence than before. The eight songs on Color/Sound/Revive/Renew explore an impressive array of human experiences through a variety of musical textures and poetic tinged lyrics. There’s no one like Cranford Hollow working in the heart or along the fringes of Americana music today and they show no signs of slowing down.
“Songfield” is an opening statement that sets a tone for the album from the first. The dramatic introduction is guided by a spartan dialogue between bass, drums, and swelling guitars that glide into the main part of the song. Eric Reid’s violin playing makes a great foil for Yannie Reynecke and front man/second guitarist John Cranford’s six string work. Cranford’s singing takes center stage when they launch into the verses and the band lays back until critical moments when they make their presence felt quite exquisitely. “Long Shadows” makes a little more active use of a traditional approach with its introductory harmony vocals and the prevalence of Eric “Thunder” Reid’s fiddle in the arrangement. There’s an intensely lyrical edge to his playing that listeners will find impossible to ignore and, even at its most overwhelming, sweetens otherwise dark songwriting with its beauty.”Noise” is much closer to a top shelf rock track with a decidedly intelligent bent than what it is shit-kickin’ and whiskey drinkin’ country or bluegrass. Reid’s fiddle work plays a dominant role once again, but it has a distinctly more compositional form here than on the previous track.
“Bury It Down”, however, picks up the mantle of traditional bluegrass/country sounds and runs with it to spectacular effect. The nicotine strained agony of John Cranford’s voice is shrouded in a light echo and the mid-tempo amble of the track will exert a pleasing hypnotic effect over many listeners. There’s some nice guitar flourishes scattered throughout the song and Yannie Reynecke’s piercing lead guitar is a highlight of the album as a whole. “And You Brutus” opens with some surprising swaths of keyboards before transforming into a meditative, slightly theatrical opening. The drums kick in and Reynecke’s lead guitar imposes tasteful authority over the song. The bluesy vocal for this performance has a decidedly different, brighter hue than the album’s customary singing approach and the ample harmony vocals are quite memorable. Color/Sound/Renew/Revive is an important new work in a career distinguished by many songwriting and performing highlights. Cranford Hollow, long after their birth, remains just as committed to exploring their potential as ever.
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