The sun rises over the wide open vistas of Abiquiu, New Mexico, and with it, the music gently lifts and swells. By the time the voice of Americana UK-favourite Dean Owens sings, “This land we loved // Will be no more // Soon to be forgotten // To some distant lore,” we are already absorbed, drifting away with a sonic beauty that matches the desert below. Later, the addition of Audrey Spillman’s ethereal voice elevates ‘Vanishing World’ still further. This is an excellent new release from trans-Atlantic collective Buffalo Blood, which features Joshua Britt (mandolin, vocals) and Grammy-nomiated Neilson Hubbard (drums, vocals) alongside Owens and Spillman.
The video was filmed by Britt and Jim DeMain, both of Neighborhoods Apart Productions, who have worked with the likes of John Prine, Jason Isbell and Lucinda Williams. The video begins and ends with the desert wind, highlighting the natural world that the song inspires us to protect. ‘Vanishing World’, written by Owens and Hubbard, is a hymn to a world on the brink and the question, “Is there still a great spirit // In our hearts,” needs an answer now, more then ever.
The collective’s debut album was written and recorded over two weeks on location in the New Mexico desert. The songs of displacement, immigration and humanity that emerged reflect spirit of the surroundings. Absorbing.
Photo credit: Jim DeMain
