Monday, December 15, 2014

Ken's Top 10 of 2014 - #5: Leyla McCalla - Vari-Colored Songs

Vari-Colored Songs is one of the few albums Jeff and I agreed on, but with good reasons. The whole acoustic, solo female artist is one of the biggest cliche's in folk music, but Leyla McCalla is one of the most original artists in folk today. Just something as simple as strumming an upright bass creates such a unique song and texture to her music. She goes from the eerily haunting and clunky (in a good way) "When Can I See the Valley" to the almost danceable "Mesi Bondye" in the span of 2 songs. "Rose Marie" might be one of the best songs on the album, and is a highlight in any of her live shows. This album should probably rank higher for me, but I think I might have burnt myself out on it back in the winter. I'm sure I'll regret not ranking it higher as I revisit is a bit more in the next couple weeks.


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