DBT #427 Appalachia - Emily Scott Robinson
If I could have been a church mouse in an 1800's sanctuary in upstate New York, I would have silently listened to some of the best song writing and beautiful melodies. Emily was excited to record in a creaky old church for five days and truly her songwriting ministry was on display. If you follow me you know stories are base bones to a good song, and Emily brings characters alive in 3-4 minutes. I bought the album on Pre-order because I love anything she has released. Yes she's made 19 DBT Editions, including a Monday Morning Song "Dirt Bag Saloon" from this album, plus reviews for American Siren and Built on Bones.
Speaking of buying this on Bandcamp, I was recently mentioning that is one of my three rules for a review and I was just mentioning that to an artist who isn't on the platform; and I said it keeps big label stars from my reviews. Oh Boy Records to me is a major label that John Prine started, and they are cool enough to get their artists on Bandcamp, and heck when Emily gets her name on the door next to Emmylou Harris, she's a huge star to me.
She's also a heck of a songwriter and trained in social work, she sees the process of sharing stories in song her ministry to life. Hallelujah!
Another rule is that I've been listening to this; and since I just downloaded it; I'm only at my third time through; but I read both the review in American Highways and her recap on her website written by Jeri Rowe. Ok... time to explore and listen to the record.
1) Hymn for the Unholy
As noted in the Monday Morning Song, Emily has shared her inspiration about many of the songs on her album to Instagram and while I won't embed them all; watch for links on lines quoted from her. As in she said "this song was written after her divorce around New Year's eve" and thoughtfully gazed into the future with hope. Of course I'm curious if the organ that is the prelude to the album was one from the church; to me it sounds recorded to well not to be a modern organ. The sparse arrangement is haunting and knowing Emily's "Built on Bones" I'm sure it will show up again.
I don't do as many reviews as I should partly because I truly immerse myself into each song and bring you the studio version and any live video from each song. Plus I'm committed to come back and add more videos if the artist releases them later. Now there isn't a single guitar on the album mix, and here's Emily solo singing the opening song on guitar.
2) Appalachia
Emily captures her breaking heart in these lines of the title track, and writes
This is the story of how I wrote “Appalachia.” 🩵 Friends, we live in such dark times. There are forces both human and natural that bring pain and destruction to innocent and unsuspecting people. 💔 And, in the same breath, people do the most wondrous and courageous things in the hardest of times. This song is about Hurricane Helene, but it’s also a call to action for how to live in the world right now with an open heart, serving our neighbors and caring for each other. We can actually do that every day, ya know?
Dang, here's what the song would sound like if Emily played it from my living room at a Bluff View House Concert. Watching it reminds me that she is also a talented guitar player, and I'm not talking about the style like Billy Strings or Molly Tuttle more of a crafter of melodies.
3) Sea of Ghosts
This song took me back to her ancient romantic imagery from "Built on Bones", boy I love listening to this song with headphones because the tasteful percussion section is weaved gently on both sides of your head placing you in the center. - Sorry no live video here yet.
4) Cast Iron Heart
Ok on the first time listen without knowing anything about who was singing with Emily, the imagery of the butter on the cast iron pan hit home. I love to cook with cast iron, and she said "I wanted to write a love song for the kind of love that we find as we grow older— weathered, humble, and strong." Plus you bring in the handsome half of The Civil Wars and you got a hit. John Paul is perfect duo partner, and the mix again is impeccable; and the writing wow. Emily wrote it obviously as a duet with the love each partner would have for the other.
Of course there is a video but only released 12 hours ago.
5) Time Traveler
Here is the song that Emily wrote for her Grandmother, I loved the image of waking up in a different place everyday. I makes it a joyful celebration to sad state to watch a loved one.
6) Dirtbag Saloon
Ok they teased the pre-order with this song, and it's a winner upbeat song that I put on Nov 17th's Monday Morning Song; and it's written about Telluride as a honky tonk anti-gentrification song, and love that she wrote in her IG "Releasing Dirtbag Saloon about Telluride just in time for the owner of @tellurideski to jack up pass prices again, delay opening and screw over ski patrol. 😂"
Now I love how Emily lives with a piano in the kitchen that serves as a bar.
7) Bless It All
Here is Emily's song writing ministry blessing you living in the precious moments in times and I love the mix is stripped down to just her voice and guitar.
Boy you got love YouTube, where someone in London shares this song and story. Sometimes I just want to give this woman a hug and hand her a cup of tea; let's sit down and talk.
8) The Time For Flowers
Another stripped down song and a time to take a walk with Emily as she encounters a wise old woman, don't let despair win. And yes there are funeral hints in this song, but it has that hope again that she so well weaves into song.
Ah... another wonderful video that was posted 2 years ago.
9) The Water is Wide
Well this was a complete surprise, and while I'm not an expert on this traditional song; I believe Emily added more to the story. Neither am I sure who is singing harmony since there are no liner notes posted in Bandcamp. Maybe it will be in the vinyl I get in a month. I know it's early, but this song will be one of the most played from the album, and my wife will love it too.
10) The Fairest View
What a closer... now stand up and applaud. Sorry ... I can't say anything better than was written by Jeri Rowe on Emily's website:
The next day, as she drove down Interstate 40 in North Carolina toward Chapel Hill, Robinson passed the exit for the town where he had lived and, out of the blue, she started to write a song for him. Over the sound of passing trucks, she hit record on her iPhone’s Voice Memos app and sang tentatively, finding the words as she went. Then, Robinson thought of her friend Lizzy Ross.
It was a week before Robinson would walk into Dreamland Studios with Ross by her side to sing harmonies on Appalachia. She called her to share the heartbreaking news about their friend’s death and they cried together over the phone. Then Robinson said, “Lizzy, I think I have a song coming through… . Can I send it to you? I have a feeling I can’t write it by myself. I have to write it with you.”
At Dreamland, Robinson and Ross sat on the studio floor at the end of the first day, held hands and asked their old friend, “Will you help us write this song?” That night, Ross woke up at 2 a.m. and feverishly began to write. The refrain had come to her in a dream. On their last night together, the two finished the song in tears. They recorded it in their final hours at Dreamland, their voices rising in the vaulted-ceiling sanctuary like a choir of angels.
And the church bells are ringing
And your sisters are singing
And the fiddles and the forest
And the creatures are the chorus
Robinson and Ross call their song, “The Fairest View,” and it ends Appalachia on an ascendent note.
“That song is like so much of this record,” Robinson says. “The veil between life and death, love and loss is so very thin. But the brightness of life is still very close to us, and if we’re in the right place, we’ll feel and see that light.”
So this is so new to the world I'll add more reviews as they come in because I'm in it for the love.
Americana UK
Well for reviews I don't do a playlist, but they have released a playlist on her YouTube page if you wanted to listen to the album that way... I just would rather you listen to it in Bandcamp and then BUY it. Even if you have no intentions to download it. Paying for the album and then listening to it in the evil Spotify will bring you immense joy in your heart. Consider it the plate was passed, and you through in money for the songwriter minister.
Yes I know I need to do more of these reviews for me and the world because it slows me down and listen to each song over slowly with undivided attention; sometimes like to today music just grabs me and says "Do it Dave".
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