Customer Reviews

Eastmountainsouth

5 star:		(54)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I heard this record weaving out of a record store PA system and was mesmerized. It's been a long time since I've heard a true contemporary vocal duet of equal partners. Gillian Welch and David Rawlings come close, but Welch is obviously the center in their partnership. Eastmountainsouth, on the other hand, practises close harmony and shared lead singing in the tradition of The Everly Brothers, Simon & Garfunkel, and my favourite vocal partnership, Gram Parsons and Emmylou Harris. And they do it well, while writing great songs with organic arrangements that are spare but never undernourished.

Kat Maslich's is a classic folk voice, warm and resonant, and Peter Adams' counter melodies are always beautiful. They are like a reversal of the roles of Parsons/Harris, with Maslich taking a little more of the spotlight, but the emphasis being on dual leads. "Hard Times" is a great take on the folk standard, beautiful in its simplicity, never becoming repetitive like so many modern folk songs. The vibrant rhythms of "You Dance" shows that this duo can do folk-rock as well as anybody else; "So Are You to Me" shows Maslich stripping her voice bare with only a piano as accompaniment; the beautiful and haunting "The Ballad of Young Alban and Amandy" sounds a little like an old English ballad, the kind that Kate Rusby specializes in; and "Rain Come Down"'s tinkling piano and guitar weave a mystical soundscape that is sheer magic with Maslich and Adams' voices. The production, by Adams and Mitchell Froom, is a winner, showing none of the electronica tendencies and dressiness that had marred Froom's work with Suzanne Vega. Good judgment here to rely on organic instrumentation and a warm, analog-like sound that allows the voices and songs to breathe and come alive.

It's a joy to see a group that takes such care in its voices and composition that its work instantly comes across as timeless and lasting. Bravo.

The album is extremely lyrical and beautiful, without ever resorting to the typical formulaic pop cliche's which can make so much other music unlistenable. The clips here are a good start, with more detail on their own website (eastmountainsouth.com) but miss-out on gems like "mark's song", which has moved me to tears more than once.

I, too, saw them open for Tracy Chapman recently, and was quite impressed with their ability to convey such delicate, peaceful music in that environment -- down to the subtleties of the percussionist, who was using brushes, cloth mallets and his hands on the drum kit (never sticks) keeping rhythm without piercing the mood. On the stage when most of the crowd is just milling-in, waiting for the main act, they kept the audience rapt with attention.

The music seems very personal and heart-felt, but at the same time they were very comfortable interacting with the crowd -- bringing you into their world and making you want to share in their stories. Definitely worth tracking them down while they're still playing small clubs (bars, bookstores, opening acts), lending an ear and humming along. Meanwhile, buy the album.

I discovered eastmountainsouth after I watched a cheesy romantic flick called Lucky Seven. They played the song "So Are You To Me" in one scene, and I was so struck by the female vocalist singing this song that I immediately went online to try and hunt down the artist. It turned out to be eastmountainsouth. I purchased their album, and I immediately fell in love with the vocal harmony, the lyrics, and the music alone especially the violin. Kat Moslich Bode's voice truly goes straight to my heart every time I hear it.

I think it was on their website that I read what Peter Bradley Adams said about singing with Kat. He said that when he took the lead vocal position on some of the songs, it felt really weird because he always saw himself as more of a background vocalist. This made me admire this duo even more because of their down-to-earth, modest attitude. That's hard to find these days- honest and talented musicians that are in it because they simply love music and not because of the fame and fortune.

Buy this album and you won't regret it. Also visit their site and check out what Peter and Kat are doing with their solo gigs-it looks like they may have unfortunately parted ways.

Favorite tracks- So Are You To Me, Ghost, Still Running, All The Stars, Too Soon

I just happened to be listening on the internet to the Fordham University station (WFUV) and caught "You Dance." It riveted me. I couldn't wait for the jock to identify the artists. EMS has put together a sound that is totally fresh. Songs like "You Dance" and "Hard Times" carry haunting rhythms and chord structures echoing ancient Celtic music as it evolved through Appalachia, but made new and vital through the creative talents of Kat Maslich and Peter Adams and the expert co-production of Mitchell Froom (Los Lobos, Elvis Costello, Crowded House). Kat & Peter's voices blend seamlessly. It isn't country; it isn't pop, but lies somewhere in that amorphous category called Americana. It's the best new sound I've heard in ages.

Eastmountainsouth is just what today's music world needs. You flip on the radio and you hear rap, heavy guitars and musicless songs of every kind. Well not anymore! EMS to the rescue. With Peter and Kat's beautiful harmony, you can't even tell that their voices are seperate. The deep feeling and emotion is conveyed in simple words that hold a divine beauty that you will never forget. You'll love it!!!

beautiful music! i first heard it during one of my art classes that i was taking last semester. after class i asked my professor what CD she had been playing and she told me about East Mountain South. i bought it right away and listen to it all the time. the harmony is just breathtaking and the music is so relaxing. comforting and perfect music to unwind your day! like my first experience, great music to figure out your art skills too!

Part country - part blues - part new age - east mountainsouth's album is just one of the most georgeously beautiful records. Be warned however. Every now and then it surprises with a sharp edge in both lyrics and music. That just adds to its allure.

I've played it over and over. It rates with my favourite albums of the past several years, and is right up with some of the most listenable music in the past few decades. As a guide, my most played albums (recently) are "Poetic Champions Compose" (Van Morrison), 'The Healer" (John Lee Hooker), "Rubber Soul" (The Beatles), " "Born to Run" (Bruce Sprinsteen), "Circus Animals" (Cold Chisel), "Espresso Guitar" (Martin Winch), "The Girl in the Other Room" (Diana Krall) and "Rainy Day Music" (The Jayhawks). If you like these, listen to eastmountainsouth. I think you'll like them.

I don't think I've been as rapidly affected at an album's first listen since Son Volt's Trace.

It's simply a hauntingly beautiful album. Kat and Peter's harmonies are outstanding. The subtle beauty of the music is breathtaking. I probably listened to "Show me the River" ten times in a row the day this album arrived.

eastmountainsouth is the amongst the best that alt-country has to offer. This CD is another example of the great American road novel put to music.

I bought this a few months ago after hearing "you dance" on the radio... although that song is actually different from everything else on the CD ("you dance" has alomst a 'world-music' sound to it), the recording as a whole is gently beautiful music that I find myself hitting "play" for over and over.

As much as it's easy to get caught up in the sound of the instrumentation, pay some special attention to the lyrics; they are heartwarming, sometimes bittersweet, and WONDERFUL.

What an amazing album! I rarely buy CD's because I never like more than one or two cuts from an artist but EMS blew me away. Their melodies are haunting and graceful and their simple, yet brilliant instrumentation forced me to play this CD over and over again. Kat and Peter's voices blend like one. I want Mark's song played at my funeral. Wow!