February 8, 2016 by Bluesdoodles
Thirteen may be unlucky for some. Not so for the Unfolding of a musical journey, Balsamo Deighton’s debut recording. The album Unfolding is pure Americana from the duo Steve Balsamo and Rosalie Deighton. Steve and Rosalie are both respected singer song writers and joining forces the power of two is quadrupled. As they explain this is a collection of ‘grown up songs on the human condition’. They met over ten years ago and then the music journey took them on different routes. Several times around the world in various musical guises, their paths crossed again when Rosalie – who grew up in the successful folk band The Deighton Family and is considered one of Britain’s finest female vocalists – supported Steve’s highly regarded country rock band from Swansea, The Storys. Unfolding is the outcome of a collaboration that has created an album that is fragrant with emotion and flows with the turbulence of life tempered with those golden days we all want to capture.
Opening with piano chords that gain your attention and then Drive On builds from simplicity into flowing lyrics and a melody line that drives you through a scenic route. Track one gained my attention could this be sustained yes the drum snares and the vocals soar now this is Americana with thoughtful lyrics and textures in the tempo. Yes, this is music that will always, if not careful, drift into the background BUT Balsamo Deighton have enough grit to keep you listening and the feet will tap. Lyrics have a hint of rawness and do not stop the whole production from becoming too syrupy sweet. By half way through the duo are in full flow and the album has a shape that is distinctive. Light In The Dark for me needs perhaps musically to have had a stronger darker side to add another shape in the repertoire of a duo with stylish voices and the power of lyrics. Then I got that hardening of the beat with Run Back To Your Life, vocal harmonisation and a tune that adds tonal depth and darkness as they sing about parting there is a never-ending circle of yearning throughout this track; with its feel of country drenched Americana. The beat picks up and 50 Foot Jesus hits the airwaves this is a quirky number that certainly once again catches your attention. As the 50 Foot Jesus on a billboard caught theirs! The title track is poignant, acapella has incredible power when done well as in the opening of the closing track. Unfolding written with immense feeling as penned in memory of a fan who was killed in Afghanistan and the simplicity of the track ensures it is all about the words.
There is a bonus (iTunes only) track thirteen For The Night with Rosalie opening in a trance like number as if waking from a dream. A gentle number closing Unfolding.
Balasamo Deighton are a duo in harmony with each other, this is Americana folk that tells a tale that they unfold using melody as the roadway and vocals as the driving medium..
Bluesdoodles gives this CD SEVEN
doodle paws out of TEN ….Balasmo Deighton – Unfolding Released 5th February 2016 – earMusic a project of Edel (Distributed in the UK by Absolute via Universal).
Track Listing
1. Drive On2. Blue
3. Ride It
4. Sky Blue And Back
5. Long Way Round
6. Light In The Dark
7. The Dream Song
8. Run Back To Your Life
9. The Ghost of Me And You
10. 50 foot Jesus
11. These Four Walls
12. Unfolding
13. For The Night ( iTunes only)
http://balsamo-deighton.blogspot.nl/
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