Title - 'The Stories We Write For Ourselves'
Artist - Kendall Street Company
For those not in the know, Charlottesville, VA quintet Kendall Street Company have just released their highly impressive fourth studio album, The Stories We Write For Ourselves.
The 15-track album (which has now become one of my own personal Top 10 favorites of 2020) was recorded in Virginia Beach and co-produced by Scott Gordon (Ringo Starr, Alanis Morissette, Aerosmith, Baja Men, Hanson, Cher, et al) and on it the band works to explore the human psyche through an impassioned and introspective lens.
All whilst exploring a deep repertoire of sounds: the Folk and Americana story-telling of The Avett Brothers, the experimental compositions of Pink Floyd, the soulfully layered horns of The Rolling Stones, the acoustic charm of The Wood Brothers, and the classic-rock influences of artists such as Bob Dylan, Jimi Hendrix, The Beatles, et al.
"This body of work harkens back to some of our roots” Kendall Street Company tells American Songwriter. The result is a boundary-pushing indie record rife with layered vocal harmonies, intimate songwriting, and acoustic guitar licks that tug on your heartstrings while still moving your feet.
1. 'Prologue'
2. 'Go On'
3. 'Lady I Love'
4. 'Waiting on a Train'
5. 'Down the Line (undrowned)'
6. 'Lady in Green'
7. 'Dear White Old Moon'
8. 'Vertigo'
9. 'The Earth Turns'
10. 'Blend into Thunder'
11. 'In a Little While'
12. 'Coffee'
13. 'A King’s Farewell'
14. 'Snowday in The Fan'
15. 'Epilogue'
Opening with a fun, abstract thirty second 'Prologue,' they move quickly on into the harder-edged 'Go On,' which is itself backed by the lighter fare of 'Lady I Love,' the gentle Americana flow of 'Waiting on a Train,' and then both the atmospherically industrial workmanship of 'Down the Line (undrowned)' and then the harmonious beauty of 'Lady in Green.'
The more prog orchestrated pairing of both 'Dear White Old Moon' and the controlled freneticism of 'Vertigo' are up next and are followed by the free flowing, Summer's breeze majesty of 'The Earth Turns,' an ode to nature's more liquid of proffering's within 'Blend into Thunder' and then the Dylan-esque lyrical ambiance of 'In a Little While.'
The beautiful hipsway of 'Coffee' is then backed by the upbeat musings found within 'A King’s Farewell,' the album rounding out with the feeling of a day long jam coming to a harmonious close on 'Snowday in The Fan,' closing on the verbal sonic discoveries found within on the .47 second 'Epilogue.'
Simply put, The Stories We Write For Ourselves is the culmination of years of songwriting and material written as far back as 2016.
It is a testament to the band’s staunch ambition as it marks their second studio release this year, and comes as a follow up to a summer full of entrepreneurial endeavors curating and self-promoting a number of live-streaming sets online, along with a handful of intimate, crowd-sourced and socially distant shows for fans amidst the ongoing pandemic.
www.KendallStreetCompany.com
Official Purchase Link
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