Intimate, personal songs, recorded live and elevated by expressive fiddle playing.
Adam Klein’s Live at Leesta Vall Sound Recordings originates from a raw, intimate 2019 in‑studio session with violinist Adam Poulin, recorded at Leesta Vall in Brooklyn, whilst Klein was on tour. The entire session was recorded straight to lathe-cut vinyl, using modified antique equipment from the 1950s, with each song preserved on its own one-of-a-kind 7-inch record, prefaced by Klein’s greeting and dedication to a specific person. In December 2024, the studio ceased operating, and Klein sought permission from the label to release the recordings digitally. Following their approval, Georgia-based producer and engineer Damon Moon took on the mastering of the files. Moon was restricted from performing a full mix owing to the vocal and instrumental tracks being inseparable; however, this didn’t prevent him from producing a release-worthy standard sound. This approach to recording could be considered reductionist. However, unlike Neil Young’s 2014 album, A Letter Home, which was recorded in Jack White’s Voice-O-Graph recording booth and which is deliberately crackly and muffled, the sound on 10 of the 11 tracks included on this album is as clear as a bell.
Klein’s songwriting covers a range of subjects from Nicaragua to waterfront bars in Brooklyn with an emotional sensitivity and depth. The expressive and beautiful fiddle of Adam Poulin adds further depth to the songs. Poulin is a classically trained violinist who has been playing since the age of nine. His often mournful but at the same time energetic fiddle lines raise Klein’s songs to the next level. The opening track Burnin’ Love depicts the depth of love which burns bright but is ultimately unstable and destructive. Poulin’s violin playing alternates between the haunting and spiky. Faithful Brigade covers solidarity, dignity, and a commitment to Nicaragua and its revolutionary spirit, balancing political idealism with personal longing and love. It’s a wonderful blend of imagery of the country, mixed with the love for a partner, and admiration for a people who fought for their independence.
Black Lung Blues is the latest of a number of songs with a similar title, covering the deadly disease which has led to the deaths of thousands of miners. Klein’s gritty portrayal of Appalachian coal miners’ lives and the long-term damage to their health is deeply poignant. A cover of John Hiatt’s Feels Like Rain is arguably better than the original, thanks to its stripped-back arrangement and Poulin’s fiddle riffs.
The album closes with Patron Saints Day, another song which appears to be inspired by Klein’s visits to Nicaragua. With the digital file having gone astray, the song was digitised from a lathe-cut vinyl. It retains a static-laced quality reminiscent of early-20th-century field recordings. The warmth of the sound, coupled with the lyrics, reminds us that even in countries which have been scarred by violence, people still sustain love and beauty, even as the weight of political dreams is borne most heavily by those leading ordinary lives. The sustenance of love and beauty seems like an appropriate way to bring this exquisite record to a close.
