Introducing Baltimore, Maryland’s The Stone Hill All-Stars – an alt-rock, rootsy ensemble that rubs shoulders with various genres and gifted, more eclectic contemporaries (I hear echoes of Ben Folds Five and Phish; they’re a little bluesy, jazzy, and with exceptionally clever lyrics that posses stunning imaginative history). With their seventh (and more recent) full-length release, Wednesday in Winter, The Stone Hill All-Stars share lyrically the common man’s lament, and do so through calmly conversed, lived-in music. Let’s give a listen, and hit the highlights.
What we’re digging…
Album starter and eponymous track “Wednesday in Winter” is almost scat-like, but with exacting storytelling in its lyrical delivery. It’s based on piano, nervous, purposely fraught drums, and Paul Margolis’ clean, plain-speaking vocals. Excellent opener.
“Mr. Mighty” is like a polka meets ska with an accenting and melodic accordion. It tells the tale of perhaps a bored or unnecessary hero, and his faithful dog/napping companion, Astronaut:
“Mr. Might-
Mr. Mighty
washing his tights on cold cycle
tumble dry will take a while so he lies down with astronaut
they’ll awaken when the dryer’s done
and fills the house with that crazy buzzer.”
“Beard and a Banjo” tells the story of…well, a banjo player with a beard. It’s the tale of losing one’s dependable schedule of accordion gigs to one so facially hirsute (but certainly realistic and easily pictured thanks, again, to detailed storytelling).
And this is the case with each track – interesting, imaginative stories based on very real and historic human quirks.
Album closer “Time for Me To Be Gone” is celebratory, jug-band-from-the-porch music that realizes it’s time for a change without the expected, nearly obligatory lament. It simply sees the road ahead, and sets its sights on something else. Something… (*gasp*)… better.
But is it good?
Lyrically engaging and musically adept, The Stone Hill All-Stars’ Wednesday in Winter is an excellent release that should appeal to fans of folk, rock, jazz, blues, country, and organic, stored-in-the-shed instrumentation. There’s real humanity to this work, and the music, and the stories, are cleverly woven. Very much recommended.
—-
BELOW: Listen to The Stone Hill All-Stars and check them out on Spotify, Apple Music, Facebook, and Instagram. Please support The Stone Hill-All-Stars by visiting them online and playing, downloading, and/or purchasing their music. And, as always, thank you for supporting real music.
(Want to have your music reviewed on The Ark of Music? Click HERE.)
Follow, stream, download & connect with THE STONE HILL ALL-STARS online:
