Letters in the Deep

Cadillac Sky (Artist) | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (June 8, 2010)
• Original Release Date: 2010
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Dualtone Music Group
• ASIN: B003E1QCCW
• In-Print Editions: Vinyl
• Average Customer Review: 3.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (13 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #83,909 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Editorial Reviews

2010 marks the metamorphosis of Cadillac Sky from a critically-acclaimed bluegrass band to a band without boundaries. Already praised as "original", "innovative" and "fearless", "Letters In The Deep" has Cadillac Sky moving further into new territory.With Dan Auerbach of the Black Keys at the producer's helm, this album corroborates Cadillac Sky's bluegrass roots,while at the same time departing into the great beyond, schlepping suitcases full of classical influences, rock and pop, on the way to expanding musical frontiers.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Up from the Deep and Jumping the Shark, June 9, 2010

By 

Pirate Fan (Santa Clarita, CA USA) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Letters in the Deep (Audio CD)

It is fascinating to see the pattern repeated. Strange how artists who start to realize that they have something special seem driven to be "different" and "creative". Sad how often the result is a hodgepodge that is far less than the simpler earlier works that were sweated out before self-awareness crept into the picture.

"Letters in the Deep" should be a brilliant new work by Cadillac Sky.

Instead it is a senseless mishmash of half portions of Brian Wilson, art school and sophomoric college band.

I hate to be so critical of a new work. But dang.

Although there is so much effort to be new, the feeling is more that of a hackneyed, naive effort to be creative that would have been amazing IF it had be released in 1973. That was a long time ago. Alan Parsons, Pink Floyd, Yes, The Beatles, Brian Wilson all trotted down this path on the way to musical innovation almost 40 years ago.

While I suppose it is cool that there is someone (once again) trying to break out of what might be perceived as the trap of "commercialism", I am reminded of the countless "lonely guy locked in a room teetering on the brink of his dark mortality" grainy black and white student films we were forced to sit through in college.

The previous two Cadillac Sky albums were far more new and fresh because they started with feet solidly planted on 70 years of musical excellence. Unfortunately, this time, the push for razzle-dazzle blew away the music - and resulted in songs that create a feeling of a bad open-mic night at the coffee house.

In contrast, the truly "Progressive Bluegrass" creation of this year is "Things that Fly" by the Infamous Stringdusters. That work is a great contrast with "Letters In The Deep" because it both honors bluegrass and rejuvenates with subtle innovations that are simply beautiful without trying to scream out "LOOK, WE'RE DIFFERENT ! ! !"

I can't wait for there to be additional feedback on this recording. I have been an outspoken fan of Cadillac Sky and I would love to be convinced my take is completely off base.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars A new phase, June 28, 2010

By 

James Moulton (Abington,Pa) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Letters in the Deep (Audio CD)

Cadillac Sky is a group that has put out 2 very good contemporary bluegrass CDs on Skaggs Family Records. They went to Dualtone so they metamorphosis into a band without boundaries. Here is a group that has the best instruments that money can buy, use Blue Chip picks $[...], Collings guitars and mandolins, Nechville Banjoes, Daddario strings, TAAG violins, Their promo says they sleep easy knowing their instruments are protected by Colorado Cases. They have a Bible verse on their CD. I visited their website that has some Cd making footage, Dan Auerbach (frontman of another group) produced it for them, they basically wanted an old fashioned type recording without overdubs and cut and paste, that will sound better the more that a listener listens to it.

Well, it is very different than their previous CDs , lots of dissonance in the melodies, all acoustic , you hear talking in the background of songs. "Lee Of The Stone : West" is a very pretty instrumental, but it is only 44 seconds long. Honestly, I find it very odd to say the least, electronic sounds , mellotrons. There is a good amount of clipping in the recording, it is a very loose affair. "Hypocrite" is a song about hypocrites, "Say one thing and you do another, repeat.

"Bathsheeba" is a frantic sounding tune, that has some nice mandolin and guitar with some good tone. Then, some harmonies ,like from "Pet sounds" ,come in the mix. The voices sound poor, like they were meant too, "Pitiful Waltz" is a good description of the song. Well, I have spent alot of time with this and I loved their first 2 Cd's. You make up your own mind, This a Free country. All I can give you, is what I am given.

[...]

--

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Beginning of David Mayfield's Brilliance, September 29, 2011

By 

Brett Def - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Letters in the Deep (Audio CD)

Very good album. I know David Mayfield is not the lead singer of this band, but he shines through on Letters in the Deep. He takes many lead vocals and his songwriting is heartfelt and sincere. Excellent production by Dan Auerbach. Highly recommended for any fan of Americana music.