"One day I loved you / One day I hated you / One day I believed you / The words sounded true..."
Some people throw the term 'classic' around freely when describing a particular song but the pure beauty and forthright honesty of "Thank You" by Alabama grown, New York tested, and Nashville bound Lauren Balthrop and featuring Maya DeVitry, could be a song rendered in the barren Nebraska territories of 1850 or in the psychedelia of Haight Asbury in the 1960's or in the mid 80's when the Bluebird Cafe in Nashville was still finding it's footings or, of coarse, now.
"Thank You" truly feels timeless. Lauren's slow dance tempo, sleepy acoustic rhythms, ramping up pedal steel guitars and especially, her evocative voice. The duet drawn vocal aesthetic here feels rather inward, utterly honest and reflective. When sparse piano drops in as well as embracing harmonies it is as if all the emotions expressed hold loss and love in dozen's of layered memories. The production might seem easy and natural but just the right amount of reverb that makes it feel like you are listening from the back of vast barn or church enhances the timeless sounds / qualities.
This lovely peak into Lauren Balthrop's sophomore album "Things Will Be Different" dropping on August 12th via Olivia Records is a true collaboration, co-written with songwriter Maya de Vitry.
Of the track Balthrop shares:
“I co-wrote this song one December morning in 2019 (the before times) with Maya deVitry. When she got to my house, I started telling her about this deeply painful day the previous week during Thanksgiving. Without going into too much detail, that day brought closure to a relationship that was incredibly hard to leave behind. I had pinned a lot of hopes and dreams on that relationship. She had gone through something similar and what felt like a therapy session turned into this song about different stages of grief around past relationships. 'Someday I’ll thank you when I’m ready to'. Now having lived with this song and its recording, a new meaning has taken shape. The lyrics have come to be a conversation with myself and learning to love and let go of my own disappointments.”
-Robb Donker Curtius
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Lauren Balthrop’s – Alabama grown, New York tested, and Nashville bound – quiets even the loudest room. Balthrop’s debut album This Time Around, produced by Josh Kaufman (Bob Weir, The National, Craig Finn, Clare Bowen, Trixie Whitley, Amy Helm, Hiss Golden Messenger), is beguiling in its honesty, rich in dark sonic beauty and above all, devilishly playful.
This Time Around chronicles the story of an uprooted soul. Feeling spun out of orbit, tumbling, accidents, and loss of control are recurring themes yet Balthrop finds solace in the chaos of love. There is a sneaky confidence in Balthrop’s vocals – all honey and soaring – almost as if she feels most at ease when her heart is dizzy. Each track on the album oscillates between the moodiness of experimental dark folk instrumentation, and the levity of Balthrop’s crystal-fueled voice.
From the magical realism and twisted fairy tale-nature of “Maple Tree” to the fuzzed out guitar of “Don’t Ever Forget,” and the drunken carousel-esque swooning of “Tumbleweed,” This Time Around is the poster child for rich, subversive pop music. At times Balthrop hits Beatles-like pop hooks and harmonies, and beats that would make Petty nod from the heavens.
“We Fell” stands out as one of the most spare and beautiful tracks, inspired by the twilight of a relationship. The song is a somber waltz, lamenting the way lovers gamble their hearts, repeatedly. Kaufman and Balthrop have plenty of production tricks up their sleeves: a tambourine begins to rattle like a shackled ghost; these songs never behave like they should.
This Time Around is not overtly a political statement, but it’s impossible not to make a connection between the current global instability and Balthrop’s thematic focus on feeling spun out of orbit. The opening track, “Down,” was initially written as a response to political uncertainty and morphed from protest to love song. Balthrop holds love as the party line throughout, and her heart’s never-ending quest can be re- read as a pro-peace battle cry.
“When I’m on my death bed,” Balthrop says, “the only questions I will ask myself are: how did I love, how much, and could I have loved more?” This Time Around is a profound statement on finding beauty in chaos and refusing to hide your heart. Above all, Balthrop insists that we dance, especially when it’s dark.
This Time Around features an all-star cast: Peter Lalish (Lucius, Uni Ika Ai) on guitar, Jason Lawrence on drums (Jesse Marchant, The Building), Josh Kaufman on bass, Karen Waltuch (Wilco) on strings, Elizabeth Ziman (Elizabeth & the Catapult) on backing vocals, Annie Nero (A. Nero) on backing vocals, Lucas Madrazo (Inland Traveler) on backing vocals, Maia Friedman (Uni Ika Ai) on backing vocals and Tom Krueger on backing vocals. This Time Around was released September 21, 2018 on Tone Tree Music.
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Lauren Balthrop, folk indie, indie pop, alternative, roots music, Americana, Alabama bred, New York, Nashville, "Thank You", upcoming album, sophomore album, "Things Will Be Different",
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