THE STRUMBELLAS
There aren’t many artists who can make your dark inner secrets seem palatable. The Strumbellas have done just that with their new release, Hope (Glassnote Records).This Canadian band has taken on the sins of the world and turned them into glorious chants of redemption. Take the title track “Spirits”. Simon Ward laments, ”I got guns in my head and they won’t go/ I got in spirits my head and they won’t go/but the gun still rattles/ the gun still rattles”. Not only are you singing this infectious chorus of psychosis at the top of your lungs but your soul is full of elation. A phenomenon repeated throughout Hope. “Shovel and Dirt”, “We Don’t Know” and “Wild Sun” follows this theme of flawed self awareness. Yet by the end of each song we feel emotionally uplifted. The Strumbellas are creative. With the use of beautiful harmonic choruses they transpose our anxieties and misgivings. Not all the songs on Hope fit this mold. “I Still Make Her Cry” decries a horrible lover’s ugly admissions with no hope of change. “Young and Wild” a rocking anthem of reckless abandonment. Songs “The Hired Band” and “The Night Will Save Us” countrified and lovely. Hope is exactly that. Hope that our flaws can be absolved and forgiven.
The Strumbellas have been associated with folksy americana bands like the Lumineers and Mumford and Sons. They separate themselves with their earthy tunes and harmonies. Their songs and themes are universal. Our forefathers could have sung these songs as well as our future generations will. A giant applause to the Strumbellas and Hope.
The Strumbellas
- Simon Ward——Vocals/Guitar
- David Ritter——-Vocals/Keys
- Jon Hembrey—–Guitar
- Isabel Ritchie—–Violin
- Darryl James—–Bass
- Jeremy Drury—–Drums
Hope is The Strumbellas third release.
- 2013——We Still Move On Dance Floors
- 2012——My Father and the Hunter
The Strumbellas are currently on tour.
Next post——Hellyeah
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