On the heels of their second International Bluegrass Music
Association Entertainer of the Year award, Balsam Range release new album
In
just over a decade, Balsam Range has
collected armfuls of industry awards, held multiple months at the top of radio
charts, recorded and performed with the Atlanta Pops Orchestra, and headlined
an array of eclectic music festivals, all the while maintaining their identity
and refining their craft to become one of the most vital artists in the roots
genre.
On
the heels of their second International
Bluegrass Music Association Entertainer of the
Year award, this eminent band continues to be a tour de force in Bluegrass
with their album, Aeonic, out January 4, 2019 from Mountain Home Music Company.
Label: Mountain Home Music Company
11
Tracks
Time: 37:30
Amazon UK - UK iTunes
- Amazon.com
- Spotify
The album is now available for purchase HERE
With
this music, Balsam Range continues to grow the magic that has
mesmerized audiences and expanded their fandom — arresting songs full of
humanity, dynamic performances graced with subtleties, and material that is
both personal and profound. Music that would be powerful in any genre but is
made all the more compelling through this Western North Carolina band’s
acoustic music mastery.
The
album kicks off with a song that has already spent weeks at the #1 spot in
Bluegrass Radio, “THE GIRL WHO INVENTED THE WHEEL.” With the
lead vocal by Buddy Melton, 2-time IBMA Male Vocalist of the Year,
it’s an out-of-the-box anecdote about a man left impressed albeit rejected by
an independent woman: “I’ve been left before, this was a different deal
/ I think I just met the girl who invented the wheel.”
Several
of the songs share a prevailing theme of searching for meaning. They may reveal
where Balsam Range finds itself as an artist, evaluating the
past, looking toward what’s next. “Tumbleweed Town” with lead
vocal delivered by guitarist Caleb Smith, is a mid-tempo stroll
through a town that lives inside a mind tortured with regret. “The
Rambler,” with vocal rendered by mandolin player Darren
Nicholson, is a dirge into the dark night of the soul, a story about life
on the road and the road of life.
“Get Me Gone,” the most recent
single from Aeonic, continues this theme of looking back,
moving forward. It’s a catchy version of an otherwise sad story of love lost
and soon to be forgotten. “Gone like whiskey gone like broke / Straight
outta here like wind blown smoke / Won’t you give me some light good Lord, and
get me gone.”
“Hobo Blues” showcases instrumental minimalism in order to pull you into the sadness of the character. A Ray LaMontagne cover with lead vocal by Smith, it creates a quiet interval on the album that adds to its thoughtful effect.
“Help Me To Hold On” is a song about desperation,
and it’s performed that way, with an arrangement that portrays a profound
sincerity. Melton’s vocal range and controlled power result in
a performance that highlights a singer at the top of his game
and illustrates why he has been awarded as such.
“Let My Life Be a Light” harkens back to
the foundation of this band. Driving traditional Bluegrass Gospel powered by
the band’s most seasoned and awarded performer, Grammy-winning
banjoist, Dr. Marc Pruett. Pruett’s perfect timing
and syncopation here showcase why he has been so celebrated, performing
with greats like Ricky Skaggs before bringing his prowess
to Balsam Range. With lead singing from Smith, the
chorus sounds off the rich 3-part harmonies of him, Melton,
and Tim Surrett.
“My Cross to Bear” is a murder
ballad, purposefully written from an ambiguous first-person perspective who is
constantly tortured with the guilt of their crime.
“Graveyard Blues” continues on dark
themes common to Bluegrass storytelling, illustrating the harshness of life in
another era where hard labor, tragedy and death were commonplace.
“Angel Too Soon” challenges
listeners’ hearts. A hauntingly beautiful performance matched with an equally
haunting lyric about the death of a child, it is the hardest of subjects and
surely meant to be cathartic.
Bookending
the collection of songs on this album with uniqueness, Balsam Rangeshows
yet another dimension of their talent with a cover of The Beatles’ “If
I Needed Someone.” With lead vocal by IBMA Bass Player of the
Year Tim Surrett, the song features Beatles-styled stacked
harmonies, along with impeccable timing and instrumental wizardry, that are
unlike any arrangement the band — or arguably anyone in Bluegrass — has
attempted. The result is a look at how adept Balsam Range is
at merging genres. Both styles become enriched by the influence of the
other.
It
has been said that great songs are timeless. But they also organize time into
attractive human pieces while their lyrics manage their way into our hearts and
minds with lasting meaning. Great music has no expiration date—it is Aeonic.
HipHopMagz: BALSAM RANGE TALKS 'AEONIC' ALBUM,
AWARD WINS & MORE: LISTEN TO 'THE RAMBLER' SONG PREMIERE (EXCLUSIVE)
The Society for the Preservation of
Bluegrass Music of America (Website) has announced
the nominees for their 45th annual Bluegrass Music Awards. Winners will be
announced February 3, 2019 at their 36th national convention at Nashville’s
Sheraton Music City hotel. Balsam Range have 3 nods: Vocal Group Of The Year,
Instrumental Group Of The Year & Entertainer(s) Of The Year.
CONNECT with Balsam Range:
About
Balsam Range
The 2018 International Bluegrass Music Association’s Entertainer of the Year,
Balsam Range, has become one of the genre’s most award-winning acts.
Since forming in 2007, the group has garnered 13 IBMA awards on the heels of 8 critically-acclaimed albums. Balsam Range has left audiences spellbound while headlining major festivals from coast-to-coast, selling out venues across the nation and in multiple appearances at the Grand Ole Opry.
The band collaborated with the Atlanta Pops Orchestra Ensemble to record 2 albums, the second of which, Mountain Overture, debuted on the Billboard Bluegrass Chart at #5 and the Classical Crossover Chart at #6.
Their previous outing, Mountain Voodoo, debuted at #4 on the Billboard Bluegrass Albums Chart and remained on that chart for 45 weeks. Three singles from that album reached #1 on the Bluegrass Today Chart, including “Blue Collar Dreams,” which spent three consecutive months at the top. The band most recently claimed the #1 radio chart spot with their single “The Girl Who Invented The Wheel.” In addition to winning Entertainer of the Year, Balsam Range vocalist Buddy Melton won IBMA’s Male Vocalist of the Year and bass player Tim Surrett won IBMA’s Bass Player of the Year in 2018.
Since forming in 2007, the group has garnered 13 IBMA awards on the heels of 8 critically-acclaimed albums. Balsam Range has left audiences spellbound while headlining major festivals from coast-to-coast, selling out venues across the nation and in multiple appearances at the Grand Ole Opry.
The band collaborated with the Atlanta Pops Orchestra Ensemble to record 2 albums, the second of which, Mountain Overture, debuted on the Billboard Bluegrass Chart at #5 and the Classical Crossover Chart at #6.
Their previous outing, Mountain Voodoo, debuted at #4 on the Billboard Bluegrass Albums Chart and remained on that chart for 45 weeks. Three singles from that album reached #1 on the Bluegrass Today Chart, including “Blue Collar Dreams,” which spent three consecutive months at the top. The band most recently claimed the #1 radio chart spot with their single “The Girl Who Invented The Wheel.” In addition to winning Entertainer of the Year, Balsam Range vocalist Buddy Melton won IBMA’s Male Vocalist of the Year and bass player Tim Surrett won IBMA’s Bass Player of the Year in 2018.
