Concert Review: Nora Jane Struthers Is A Champion At American Beauty NYC
Nora Jane Struthers is grassroots folk at its purest. Nowadays with how much genres are infused and bent into each other, you might forget their original sounds and intentions. DO NOT GET ME WRONG! I love fusions, but there is always something sweet to hearing the guitar, fiddle, banjo, claps, and stomps of classic folk. As she played with her new band/ quartet, The Party Line, Nora Jane Struthers reminded viewers at American Beauty NYC that folk is about how we march on and forward in our lives through the love others give us.
From a singing troubadour to a singing gondolier, around the world, we all have the image of a traveling narrator; crossing paths with people and singing tales of humanity. Struthers’ music thrives in this essence, and her newest album Champion is an homage to the grand dames of folk rock like Rosanne Cash and Nanci Griffith. From her warm smile to her noble delivery, she understood that these women drew from the dignity and dirt of life. “Champion”, “Each Season”, “Show Me”, and “Just A House” dripped with vulnerability, and spoke to the hope that carries us through our failures and our victories’ that hope lying in the lessons we learn from those that love and leave us. Like Cash, Struthers presented each song like they were a diamond ring on a pillow; she balanced elegance and humility to show the sophistication of folk rock as a genuinely, sung analysis on human relationships. Hence, the night felt more than just an album release or deeply, personal discussions of the inspirations behind it; it also felt like a stringed homage to the power of love in helping your through dark times.
From feeling unwanted by this world to feeling as appreciated as a rose such as in, “Let’s Get the Day Started Right” and “The Words”, Struthers make struggles seem beautiful, particularly, when you still have someone by your side. The way she sung to love sounded like honeycombs were being tossed into the audience; their sweet syrup and waxed lyrics molded the crowd to feel better. Yes, life can get sticky, but if someone is by your side, they’ll help you taste the honey of situations. Hence, Struthers performance was excellent, in part, because it elaborated the beauty of her newest music, and how the wisdom she has gained as person is deeply interconnected into her growing artistry. In essence, if albums are an artists’ steps as human beings, then Champion soared, and Struthers’ American Beauty show was an example that growing in love is growing confident. For More Information On Nora Jane Struthers Click Here.
