more inspiring than a million x factor contestants put together
author: will
This is superb!Some magnificent arrangements and hooks that creep up on you unawares during the day. The combination of lyrics & melody just seem to fit so perfectly it's as if Chad has worked some kind of alchemy.
Musically to this listener it sits somewhere between the sensibilities of say, Martin Stephenson and Belle & Sebastian and some homegrown Americana thrown in for good measure, and why not? This album is not ashamed of its roots.The homegrown approach gives it an extra appeal in this age of cash-in-quick-while-it's-in-the-public's-awareness.I've heard a lot in my 40 plus years & this ranks amongst the best.
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Ghosts, and how to dance with them...
author: Samuel Hensley
For those fortunate few of us who have followed Chad Bishop's development as a writer/performer of delicate, well thought-out acoustic tunes, this album steps from the living room/hallway/front porch sound of his earlier efforts, with a result that is both complex and resonant. Working with a larger band clearly suits Bishop's talents as an arranger and producer, allowing him to paint broader sonic strokes with each strum of the old Taylor, without detracting from the intimate and up-close quality of his work that we all love.
In short it's a great record from a great songwriter, enticing comparisons to acoustic talents past and present, like Nick Drake, Sam Beam, Van Morrison, or Damien Rice. It's an aural invitation to take a second -- and quieter -- look at many issues, personal and social, that to some extent plague us all. His lyrics draw attention to a voice whose tone is, not tormented, but haunted, living in full recognition of the many places the speaker has been, and how many voices one must listen to before finally finding their own.
A charming listen.
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Splendid Music For Candlelit Nordic Nights.... Masterfully Melancholic!
author: The SimpLeTon
If you're looking for the perfect CD to wax wistful over a good bottle of wine with or without company... something to take the chill off the late winter nights - this is it! A thought-evoking folky acoustic blend of harmonic vocals and flowing instrumentation with some genuinely talented plaintive songwriting at the core. One can either have this on in the background (there're no screeching, noisy guitars, sound effects or pseudo-angst histrionics here for 'arts' sake to distract from the listening experience!) or crank it up and pay the FULL attention that this CD commands to the thoughtful vignettes presented here - This is thoroughly organic and HIGHLY listenable and warm music.
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