The Lone Bellow - Walk Into a Storm

The Lone Bellow
Walk Into a Storm
2017
Spotify

Since The Lone Bellow's last album in 2015 they have moved from Brooklyn to Nashville and hooked up with producer Dave Cobb (Jason Isbell, Sturgill Simpson) for this new record Walk Into a Storm. The bands blend of Americana and gospel still comes through but there is now a much heavier country punch to their sound. Since the bands last album Then Came the Morning things have somewhat slowed down for the band. Where they were receiving critical acclaim and blowing up in Americana circles they have not been able to translate that into pop crossover. Not that crossover is the bands intention, but it seems like they are just behind the folk wave spurred on by bands like Arcade Fire and Mumford and Sons. Perhaps that's why on this album the band slide into a slower groove and take their time letting the record roll out. "Is It ever Gonna Be Easy" has this great toe tapping beat and a wonderful slide guitar even though the lyrics talk about struggle and something fading away. You get this sense that this album was not easy to come by, as the song would contend, and that each track had to pulled out of the band. They are able to achieve this really honest and open sound, music that feels inherently real and satisfying. The only problem is that it doesn't feel modern enough to make the impact that it should. These songs are good, some of them even really soar but it is really hard to care about them.

"May You Be Well" is one of the best examples of this. It is big, bold and totally heartfelt complete with this soaring ending filled with strings and acres of space; but it just doesn't connect. Many of the tracks suffer the same fate arriving at a melancholy conclusion and leaving you wanting something brighter and less heavy. You really have a hard time finding a place for this album, despite it's merits. The sad songs all tend to sound the same leaving the record with this air of mediocrity. Dave Cobb is able to create real drama with the production going from big to small and back again, but the material just is not there. You find yourself wanting to like this record, like really wanting but just not being able to make that leap. It is the harmonies though that keep you coming back. On tracks like "Time's Always Leaving" when the whole group gets involved and you get this soaring gospel sound it works super well and leaves you desperate for more, but that never comes. There is some things to like, but a lot ot be confused by on this record. Maybe they just needed to get this one out of them in order to get on to the next, only time will tell but as it is you can walk away from Walk Into a Storm.

5.0 out of 10