Imagine waking up and stepping outside of a small cabin. The sun is just rising over the trees on a cool autumn day, the dew on the grass is still there and the sun is reflecting off of it. The leaves are catching a breeze and calmly whispering. Small songbirds are singing back and forth to each other and the ferns and bushes are moving back and forth together in a rhythm as if they're listening and dancing to an orchestra. You stand there and take everything all in, you just listen and admire nature's early morning hymns.
I don't mean to sound like Henry David Thoreau but this is the feeling I get every time I listen to this album. Old Canes is unique blend of upbeat folk, indie-rock and blue grass. Early Morning Hymns is composed of ten tracks, and all ten are standouts, weaving a fictional story about a man and his wife with their share of marital problems. It is completely beautiful, and you can't help but smile and have a feeling of joy come over you when you hear it.
Chris Crisci (of the infamous band from Lawrence, Kansas The Appleseed Cast) has a way of combining your moods, writing melodies that make you feel happy and somewhat sad at the same time. He is an amazing, honest musician. He writes from the heart and plays from the heart. He tells stories by painting portraits in the listeners' minds, telling about of his own personal life. He doesn't leave anything out. In his new project, he's accompanied by some of his friends, including Jordan Geiger of The Minus Story who plays many different instruments on this album, various friends, and a crew of rotating drummers.
The album opens up with small quiet intro and then immediately bursts out on "Blue Elanor" with upbeat rhythms from the acoustic guitar and clicking of drum sticks and steady beat, accompanied by some horns in the chorus. I picture this song being played at a renaissance fair where people have their arms locked, dancing and tapping their toes in a circle enjoying themselves and having a good time. "Both Falling Bright" is an exceptional song with a steady mid-paced beat and a melody that will capture your heart. Behind all the music you can hear a harmonica fade in, being played by a novice musician. The slight pinch of harmonica adds to the song nicely; it isn't played completely smoothly but it doesn't overpower the other instruments. The whole album is filled with strong tracks but "The Song Was Right" is probably the strongest. It starts with a drowned out banjo in the background, and then an acoustic guitar comes in with a picking melody, the drums gradually progress with quick tight breaks of the hats and snare, the energy constantly builds up and it's all let out at the right moment.
One thing you'll notice on Early Morning Hymns is the recording. It's not a good recording at all, not by accident but on purpose. Crisci had the idea that a lo-fi recording would be better than clean and cut produced album. That's what makes this album so wonderful: his idea and how he made it work, and also how he picked the lineup of musicians, not having an amazing lineup, but a lineup that gives it 110% every time they step behind their instruments. That's what makes this project so brilliant; it doesn't have to be perfect to be perfect.
Early Morning Hymns is an instant classic. It's pretty much perfect. Every song has just as much weight as the next, and the energy in this album is just so real you can feel it. Song after song your feet just keep tapping and tapping along. It's music anyone would enjoy, and even my mother enjoys it. This is one of the most enjoyable albums I've heard in my life, and I think it's pretty safe to say you'll feel the same way too.
