by Nathan Cardiff

Quiet Corral has put a tremendous amount of work in their new, enchanting record Ancestors. It captures a beauty and determination in a band bursting at the seams with both attributes. Warm, rich vocals invite us into this world of lush sound and full emotion. The rip-roaring opener of “Shadows,” with its stellar drums and killer lyrics, (“But if I made it out alive, I’m sure I would die/From all the makin’ love, in the backs of our minds”) wraps you up in the wholehearted embrace of this record. It’s a folky anthem that puts a grin on your face and maybe even some tears in your eyes.

The band keeps the whole record eclectic; a folk heart is in the middle of it all, but Quiet Corral’s originality can’t keep them pinned into one category. The backwoods brawler “Elijah” has all the attitude you could ever hope for and a nasty delivery with plenty of fire behind it. The lovely “Forest Chorus” makes you feel as if you are in an undisturbed woods, crisp air filling your lungs and a terrific transition into the rocker “The Middleman” with its awesome guitar. Then there’s “City Steep” with its country foot-stomping; sounding like a song that was meant to go to work. “I’m gonna build, build my tower tall” they sing and you fall in line to help put up the bricks. The piano on the record is at times danceable and at others devastating, especially in “Of Wolves and Wind” a powerhouse that gives you chills in the summer night.

Ancestors is through and through a superb album, but Quiet Corral’s opus may be “Where The River Ends;” a truly unrivaled track. A lovely moment that embraces the fleetingness of life; it breathes a heavy and wonderful breath of appreciation for what is lost.

A folk-rock dream is the best way to describe Ancestors. It rolls and flows through your heart and mind, always present with its clear-eyed courage. This album, much like the tower in “City Steep,” stands tall.

Favorite Tracks: “Shadows,” “The Middleman,” “Of Wolves and Wind,” & “Where The River Ends”

by Nathan Cardiff