Contemplating life and death to a cinematic soundtrack. Songs with a joyful, uplifting way of looking at the harsher things of life.
The debut album from this Milwaukee-area ensemble “has a sound that leans Americana and neo-traditional country.” The sub Delines stylings of ‘Evensong,’ are enlivened by the pedal steel and Tamara Kroes’ vocals on the chorus. ‘This House Is Too Quiet’ reveals itself through Matt Vollmer’s six-string bass and Bryan Kroes’s voice, which turns out to be one of The Slow Harvest’s big strengths.
They say that “these are the stories of life’s fleeting joys and inevitable sorrows.” ‘There Has To Be More’ is as angst filled as songs come. A chorus of “I’ve read the good book and every nihilist account, but Lord, there has to be more after this world than sleeping in the ground” makes some of Willy Vlautin’s characters seem positively joyful. If this is Neo-traditional country, then it’s a wonderfully chilly place. As is ‘We’re Already Dead’ which follows and does have more country about it thanks to the pedal steel. If you thought the previous song took an overly dim view of life, then “All this life we’re livin’ is just a dream inside a head. Ain’t nobody winnin’; ain’t nobody right. There’s no beginning and no end. We’re already dead,” will have you considering your listening choices.
If on the other hand you can appreciate the slow blues of ‘North Country Snow’ and Bryan Kroes’, the band’s writer’s “handling of seriously heavy subject matter” there is lots to reward the careful considerate listener. ‘If Not For Love’ offers a glimpse of hope over a fuzz solo from Vollmer. It’s that distinctive Fender Bass VI sound which gives The Slow Harvest a lot of their distinctive sound, with a growl at the low end and a Spaghetti Western twang further up the scale. You can almost see the tumbleweed being whipped up by a chill prairie wind. Harrison Dole’s pedal steel is what gives the impression of “country-ness” to the music. In reality this is music beyond classification, with influences pulled from all over the musical and cinematic landscape.
While we are in what passes for an optimistic mood in Slow Harvest world, Kroes gives us ‘Time Doesn’t Matter’ where tempus fugits in a blink of an eye. ‘Staring At The Horizon‘ sees Tamara Kroes’ harmonies return on song which picks up the pace to the point that a slow dance might be possible. ‘We Could Use A Little Rain’ closes the album where we started with a traditionally structured country tune, but of course we are still finding lessons about life, albeit with a singalong chorus of “If this big old world stops turning ain’t no reason to cry now. Baby, we’ll be free. If we never wake up tomorrow ain’t no reason for sorrow. Baby, we’ll be free.” A “striking juxtaposition of honky-tonk and blunt societal critique” they tell us.
The band are clear about their mission: “These are songs written for those who know we are all prisoners, incarcerated on a rock hurtling headlong into the infinite void. For those who know there is no such thing as winning and no such thing as being right. No beginning and no end. These are songs about the hard-won redemptive power of love, survivor’s guilt, and the crippling fear of being alone. These are the things we are too scared to confront during the daylight hours, but that unfailingly return to haunt us come the long nightfall.”
It could be argued that songs like this should be left well alone in a world full enough of trouble and strife. But in fact, there is something remarkably uplifting about them. Having those thoughts form the long dark of the soul brought out and shown some light is refreshing and this the band to help us embrace them.
