Nashville – Both heartfelt and heartbreaking, the latest from the U.K. sister act The Staves is a triumph of both artistry and emotion. Best New Bands interviewed the band a while back, before the release of their full-length debut, but even then the band was gaining significant traction. If I Was (via Nonesuch Records) follows their 2012 debut, Dead & Born & Grown, and both albums are doused in a characteristic earthy, folksy sound. However, this most recent album enters a space that is far more ghostly and delicate. If I Was is at first striking in its beauty, from the trio’s finely tuned vocal harmonies, to the perfect, sharp subtlety of the instrumentals.
Not only are each of the album’s 12 tracks able to stand alone as beautiful, individual songs in and of themselves, the entire work moves along with an unbroken continuity, and the album seems to tell a story. If I Was moves and twists between mourning, trepidation, wonder, and pleading. Beginning softly and curiously with “Blood I Bled,” which ascends to its own moment of climax, the album circles through a veritable spectrum of emotion to end on the simultaneously unwavering yet resigned “Sadness Don’t Own Me.” While many artists attempt outright to tell a story through their prescribed arrangement of songs, it appears as if The Staves’ attempt is successful because it’s executed on a subconscious level. From question to purpose, there is a clear beginning and a definite end.
Speaking of “Blood I Bleed,” The Staves begin If I Was with one of the album’s standout tracks. It brings the listener into the scene like a sunrise—meekly in the first beats, then unflinchingly all at once. The moments of bare vocals alternate with feather-light rhythmic instrumentals and crystal harmonies before building to fiery, brazen chanting. Next, the strings enter the scene and float dreamily down from the surface in order to ground the song once again. Similarly, the vocals hang in an otherworldly space between up and down. And these vocals are not only striking in their own right, but when paired with the soft guitar, they begin to sound reminiscent of Nick Drake.
On an entirely different level, however, “Black & White” takes things to a more subversive place. There’s nothing cautious about this cut, with lyrics that seem to point to some sort of ultimatum. While there’s clearly a conflict at place here—like in nearly all of the album’s songs—this song remains firm in ways that the other tracks can’t touch. From the soulful rock vibe via the punchy percussion and the horns, to the sisters’ bold harmonies that add a sensuous flow, “Black & White” is like a final breath of reassurance before If I Was delves once again below the surface, into a raw and sometimes darker place.
If I Was is worth a concentrated, dedicated listen all the way through. The way it weaves from tale to tale, sometimes unpredictably, is what really makes everything here special. Sure, I’ve played favorites with “Let Me Down” and “Make It Holy,” but the entire story of If I Was is the album’s most spectacular feature. Both ethereal and grounded, The Staves’ most recent venture will speak to everyone on an individual level, and will cater to a sensitive, raw place.
The Staves are currently touring Europe in order to promote this latest release. Catch them live before the end of April, and keep up with the band via Facebook.
Amaryllis Lyle
Latest posts by Amaryllis Lyle (see all)
- Clear Plastic Masks Heat Up The High Watt - May 18, 2015
- Featured Artist: Dillon Hodges Of firekid - May 5, 2015
- Natalie Prass Returns To Nashville For A Sold-Out Set - May 4, 2015
Pingback: Bridie Jackson and the Arbour - Far From The Tree - Track of the Week » #LoveLiveMusic