Review: Golden Shoals Rebrands and Finds New Creative Ground on Self-Titled Debut
Golden Shoals may officially be a new band, but in reality they are anything but. The duo of Amy Alvey and Mark Kilianski has been touring and recording for the past seven years as Hoot and Holler, after graduating together from the prestigious Berklee College of Music and bonding over their shared love of traditional folk music. The rebranding to Golden Shoals, and the release of their self-titled debut, has not only allowed them to differentiate from the numerous other local “Hoot and Holler” acts in the musical world, but also to expand their traditional two-man fiddle, banjo, and guitar sound to include other elements.
The biggest change fans of the group will notice is the addition of Landon George, who adds upright bass and drums, and the duo's own addition of electric guitar and organs to add a hybrid country-rock element to their familiar stripped down backyard jam style. The best use of these new elements comes from album highlight “Sittin' Pretty.” It starts off with just an acoustic guitar and Alvey's voice, adding just a hint of electric guitar twang that, along with the drum, builds slowly until by the end of the song they are in full rock and roll band mode. But the real draw of “Sittin' Pretty” is in the lyrics and in Alvey's vocal delivery. In it, Alvey reflects on being an itinerant musician, somewhat removed from a world that includes school shootings, rural job losses, inability to take maternity leave due to the lack of economic security, hurricanes, and a “madman in the White House beggin' for war.”
That entity is invoked again in the moody “Brood of Hate.” Anchored by a dark banjo lick by Kilianski and augmented by Alvey's haunting fiddle weaving in and out. Lyrically, it's by far the darkest thing on the album, and one that is full of quotable lyrics. To that end, it's now a “monster in the White House, and he's doing his very best to bonify his bankroll and hide his hollow breast.” But this isn't simply a protest song but one that turns its eye to society as a whole. As Kilianski notes at one point “The specter of the working man's savior is a bold and boisterous lie. Everybody wants to meet Jesus Christ, but nobody wants to die.”
But it's not all darkness and protest. The majority of Golden Shoals is delivered in an uptempo old time reel, enhanced with flourishes of Western swing. On “Everybody's Singing”, the duo strings together recycled lyrics from overused country and folk standards to poke gentle fun at the glut of oddball musicians wearing cowboy boots and white jumpsuits while presenting yet another rendition of “Wagon Wheel”, or a bluegrass band presenting the hits of the '80s.
On “New Friend”, Alvey turns to lover's betrayal trope on its ear, learning an old flame has taken up with her close friend. Instead of turning it into a country stereotype full of tears in beers and damp pillows, Alvey notes her good luck in learning the true personality of both individuals and finally being able to cleanse them from her life.
Throughout, Golden Shoals remains true to the old-time folk that brought them a fanbase while evolving in a way that allows them to experiment with new sounds. As you'd expect from two Berklee graduates, the one thing that hasn't changed at all is the strong instrumental work from both members, and how seamlessly they incorporate Landon George like he's always been there. As a debut album from a not technically debut band, it ticks all of the marks fans of roots music should be looking for. Experimentation is the cure for stagnation and with this album, Golden Shoals has given themselves a vaccination that should ward off the dread disease of staleness for years to come.