![]() At this point there ought to be a health warning on this record: ‘not to be taken with alcohol’ should do the trick, though by now, for many, it is probably far too late. Despite being on the maudlin side of things, the song really hits the spot and paves the way for the quivering Hammond of ‘Unwinnable War’, a plainspeaking confession of yet more regret and yet more sadness. ‘A Sea of Roses’ returns us to melancholic intimacy and gives Russ Pahl’s pedal steel a real chance to shine. It jars a little against the concision of the record’s opening clutch of songs and will be the make-or-break moment for listeners new and old.Ī welcome lightening of mood comes with the mandolin, country fiddle and bounce of ‘Big Time’ with Ryan and Pattengale breaking out of the harmonies and turn-taking on solo verses. ‘One More For The Road’ is a soporific ten-minute epic, sprinkled with spaced-out trippy instrumental ramblings. If it’s all getting bit heavy for you by now, man, then you better get right out of Dodge before the album’s centrepiece arrives. The old-west-waltz of ‘You Break My Heart’ sounds as if it could’ve been written a century ago while the ominous vocal harmonies and wailsome steel guitar of ‘Blindness’ create a dreamscape of desperation and regret, along with the invention of a new sub-genre: Eerie Americana. ![]() The song successfully melds James Taylor warmth with the ragged edges of Iron & Wine. The resigned state-of-the-nation ballad ‘Mourning In America’ is cinematic in a different way, with beautiful upright bass and lush strings setting the scene perfectly. If the idea of Simon & Garfunkel soundtracking a Spaghetti Western floats your boat then you’ll be glad to be aboard. With the navel-gazing over, they move swiftly on to Dylanesque social commentary with ‘Nothing Is Real’, lamenting the disconnection of the digital age before hitting us with the current single ‘Younger Years’. The waif-like, wistful and wise ‘Just Look At Us Now’ opens things up ever-so gently, an exemplar of the emotional and pure American Folk for which The Milk Carton Kids are so celebrated. Thus, ATTTIDAATTTIDD (even as an acronym it’s a ridiculously long title) sees The Milk Carton Kids reflecting on how they got this far, while simultaneously forging ahead with a new chapter to their story. The pair have been through some personal changes too in the time since 2015’s hit LP Monterey, with Ryan now a father of two and Pattengale surviving a battle with cancer. Everything remains light-touch however and the duo’s twin vocal and acoustic guitars remain very much in the foreground. And it’s a lineup to die for, featuring, among others, Jay Bellerose, Pat Sansone, Russ Pahl and Dennis Crouch. Listen to World Cafe's wide-ranging conversation with The Milk Carton Kids in the player above, including more about what the label "Americana" might mean, teaming up with Josh Ritter for his song "The Gospel of Mary" and bunch of live performances from The Only Ones, starting with "I Meant Every Word I Said.Until now, The Milk Carton Kids have been Kenneth Pattengale and Joey Ryan alone but for their latest record they’ve gone for a full band treatment to fill out their sound. "After a while, if you do your own thing long enough, maybe you become a reference point for how people can understand new music coming along after you." It was very easy for people to understand us in the context of other duos who we take influence from, going back to The Louvin Brothers, The Everly Brothers, Simon & Garfunkel, Gillian Welch and David Rawlings and a bunch of others," Joey says. "We've cast ourselves in this long tradition of harmony duos. Joey and Kenneth have hosted the Americana Music Awards for the past two years they've become so big in that community that other artists have started to cite their songwriting when describing their own music in press releases. Performance antics aside, the duo has a strong sense of respect and reverence for the musical traditions that they've grown from. All Songs Considered The Best Of AMERICANAFEST 2018
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