FOR FANS OF: The Civil Wars, The Oh Hellos, Fleet Foxes, Shovels & Rope
REVIEW: We initially talked about Young Heirlooms earlier in the year when they released their initial three track EP titled, “One Louder Studio Demo”. You can check out our thoughts on the EP here. It was a solid first effort from a local duo to bring clean harmonies and solid folk to your ears.
Here we are months later and we get to take a look at their first full release. I’m glad to see that the songs from the EP made it onto the album as they were great, but impressed to see that added to them. The LP shows more of what Young Heirlooms can be and where they are able to go musically.
The album brings out a blend of indie/folk that fits the duo of Kelly Fine and Christopher Robinson so well. It’s the nü-folk (or neo folk as the duo calls it)! While you get the standard strings, mandolins, and amazing harmonies, there is also a more atmospheric tone to some of the tracks. More depth and breadth than your standard finger picking folk album has the ability to bring you. It’s an album that can reach a broad audience while finding it’s home in the hearts of true folk/indie lovers.
For me, what carries over most on the LP is the emotion in the vocals. Fine and Robinson craft some of the most beautiful and at the same time haunting melodies that you will hear. Calmer and darker tracks like “Either Way I”, “No Moon”, and “Traveling Band” will grip you. These tracks are the ones that show the heart behind the chords. They are the ones you close your eyes to and let them take you away. They are almost a polar opposite of some of the standard folk fare that you find with songs like “Never Truly Dear”, but that’s what I like. These two aren’t a one trick pony. It’s the ability to explore their sound and provide an overall experience to the album.
We’ve said a lot of good things about Young Heirlooms in our initial review of their EP that still holds true on the LP. The harmonies..damn those gorgeous harmonies. I mean seriously, a soft spot in my heart for good female/male folk duos. Fine and Robinson are moving to the top of that list with the chemistry they have in their songs. The ability in some to sound like they are singing only to each other and you’re lucky enough to get to hear it. The instrumentation, the production, and the craftsmanship of the songs…its all here.
So what do you do with all of this information? Well, you go out and buy the album…duh (buy it here folks!). It’s storytelling in song. It’s emotion and heart on six strings. For folks that may have thought the EP was too folky, please don’t pass up the LP. The new tracks will impress. If this is where Young Heirlooms are going then we should be in for a treat.
