The Murfreesboro-based band Ribbonpigeon’s new album is out and ready to enter your stereo. Personally I would recommend checking it out (at least some of it). Less personally, I would say that this band is solid, and has done a good job of producing a professional sounding and looking product.
The sound could be described as folk, country, blues and rock. Instrumentation and arrangement are very consistent throughout the album (with a few exceptions). In most songs there are electric guitars, fiddle, drums, electric bass and vocals. Sometimes you hear a bit of harmonica, lap steel, acoustic guitar and upright bass. Some of the songs reminded me a bit of Neil Young with a vocal more reminiscent of Bruce Springsteen.
Mostly the songs are midtempo and follow somewhat traditional melodies. Song structures are modern and follow a very easily understood melodic pattern. Many of the songs could be called pop because of their repetition of chorus sections, but they don’t really feel like pop because the production style gives you a very raw picture of the band.
People who like good songwriting with simple production will really enjoy several of the tracks on the album. Track two “Do You Wrong” and the acoustic track “Devil Wind,” are really excellent songs that hook you right away with strong melodies and great lyrics. The last song, “Lowlands,” is pure rock ?n’ roll and is really a great song. The song twists and moves you just far enough from what you expect, but feels so familiar that you can’t help but like it.
Tonally, the album is excellent. The bass is nice, the guitars sound great, and the mix is well done. Dynamically, the album flows very well. But after listening to the album several times, I found myself skipping some of the songs so I could get to others faster. This is certainly a testament to the quality of those songs, but I think some of the other songs could have been spiced up by some different arrangements or instrumentation. In the end though, I felt very good listening to this album. It definitely flows from beginning to end.
As a band, Ribbonpigeon can expect to have a good deal of success. They have a simple goodness to their style that comes from good creative songwriting and a balance of musicians that don’t all try to get in your face with their instruments. This is a professional sounding band that has done an excellent job of self producing and balancing their music and their album. Hopefully future efforts will bring us some more unique arrangements while preserving these positive qualities.
On a side note, I would recommend checking them out live. Their next show is Friday, June 27, at The Boro Bar and Grill, with Slithering Beast from Louisville, Ky.
