Album Review: Early Riser Brings Theatrical “Currents” To Country-Folk Music
The line between theater and country music has been officially ended, and Early Riser have done it. Their new album Currents has an alternative country sound because of the theatrical lyrics and voices of Kiri Oliver and Heidi Vanderlee. These ladies bring their cellos and folk-punk melodies to etch out that is 100% only theirs.
Country, pop, punk, folk, and theater music sound like genres that could have “some things” in common, but are not the most thought of combinations. Yet, you can find all those sounds and vibrations coursing through Currents. Now when you think of theater, you think of dramatic, tour de force vocals that meet the spotlight in climatic epiphanies. Yet, there are those sporadic monologues that play into the routines and imaginations of characters that use their mind as an escape playground for their childlike heart, which cannot seem to find the proper playmate. Enter tracks like, “Superglue” , “The Line”, and “Everyone I Know” to feel like the internal monologues a character/ you would say to yourself without realizing an audience is listening. There is a humor, creativity, and bashful sincerity to their lyrics that, again, furthers your inability to place Early Riser in any box but their own. Kiri and Heidi have voices that may not bounce in range or prowess, but have a narrative style that turns their two -minute tracks into story-times. Their songs never go to0 much beyond 2 minutes 30 seconds, which explains the brisk “monologue” feel, and the sense that these ladies are moreso telling you a story than singing you an epic. Still, that vibe goes well with the gorgeously gusting cellos, drums, and basses that play behind them. As they construct the tales of “Just Start Dancing” and “The Nevers”, the instrumentals push behind them like a fall tornado of sun and leaves. It is as if they are walking through the park and remarking on the people, while a weather of chords and keys dance behind them. Such an aura makes their record a sweet jolt of fun. For More Information On Early Riser And to Bur Currents On June 16 Click Here.
