David Mayfield’s sophomore album, “Good Man Down,” is one of
my favorite records of the year. It goes beyond the bluegrass, folk, and
old-time honky-tonk n’ roll that colored his impressive solo debut, “The Parade,”
and what he did as a sideman with sister Jessica Lea Mayfield and forward
thinking bluegrassers Cadillac Sky.
On “Good Man Down” a reinvention of
Cadillac Sky’s “Trapped Under Ice” rumbles with rock n’ roll thunder, while “Was
It Only Me” is one of the most moving tracks I’ve heard in years. Mayfield ups
the ante on the intimate song by shifting from beautiful strings to a heavy
psychedelic freak-out finale. “Human Cannonball,” which I believe Mayfield
played during last winter’s tour with his sister Jessica Lea, swells into a
heartbreaking, grand love story.
There’s still plenty anchored in his bluegrass roots. “Another
Year,” which features harmony from bluegrass legends Doyle Lawson &
Quicksilver, and the fiddle-driven opener “Love Will Only Break Your Heart,”
which features Seth Avett on guest vocals, are both classic folk-grass
centerpieces. “The Willow and the Babe” reminds me of the progressive newgrass
my dad listened to when I was a kid. It’s positive, wide in scope, and full of interesting
instrumental phrasing, but doesn’t leave catchy, pop sensibilities behind. What’s
more these different sides of Mayfield’s musical personality gel and make for a
diverse yet cohesive record.
Mayfield plays Double Door Inn Saturday.
Coincidentally two artists
that recently worked with the Ohio based producer/musician share the stage at Jam
for Cam at NC Music Factory’s The Saloon that very same night. Mayfield
produced new albums by Greenville cellist and singer-songwriter Sarah Clanton
Schaffer and Bristol, Virginia’s Annabelle’s Curse. Schaffer and Annabelle’s
Curse actually met at Suma Studios in Ohio where both recorded with Mayfield.
Both acts fall under that broad umbrella known as Americana,
but, like Mayfield, roots music doesn’t entirely cover what either act does.
Schaffer’s album, “Chasin’ a Feeling,” isn’t predictable cello
rock (not that cello rock is all that common). Her songs are textured, fully-formed
entities that happen to feature cello as well as several other instruments
including her versatile and gutsy voice. She demonstrates Fiona Apple-style
sass on “Dragons in the Kitchen” (which you can hear in the above clip) and plays with jazz and blues melodies on “Not
Cool” and the title track. She’s a playful lyricist on “Banana Song,” a quality
that probably served her well when she was on the road touring with Mayfield.
She’s hard to pin down as an arranger and vocalist. Her
phrasing sometimes hints at Beth Gibbons from Portishead whereas “Just One Kiss”
- a really beautiful classic country-rooted love song - could’ve been a hit for
Anne Murray or Olivia Newton John circa 1975. At times Schaffer channels that
positive country and rock straddling AM pop.
Annabelle’s Curse’s “Hollow Creature” begins like
a mix of `90s pop-rock radio and the harmony-driven contemporary
folk-rock that’s so hot right now. It’s like Death Cab for Cutie and Arcade
Fire raised in the valleys of Virginia singing harmonies and soaking up weekend
pickin’ parties. Annabelle’s Curse certainly shares qualities with what I think
of “Hey!” bands like Of Monsters and Men and the Last Bison - bands that raise spirits and create
gospel-like revivals with group-shouts and
bouncing acoustic boot-stompers. “Regret, VA” contains shouts of “Hey!”, but
Annabelle’s Curse differentiates itself with that aforementioned Death Cab-like undercurrent
and by keeping that uplifting spirit to a minimum. It delves into trippy,
dramatic psychedelia on the heavier title track, for instance, demonstrating its
own broad pallet while remaining tied to bluegrass and roots music through nimble picking and rich harmonies.
As with Mayfield, neither group is a one trick (or style)
pony. And as with “Good Man Down,” both albums are diverse and eclectic and
impressive on several levels. While the coincidence of them playing the same
night as their producer is kind of neat, it also makes it difficult to be at
two shows at once. Maybe there will be an after show jam somewhere between
Elizabeth and Graham St. Cross your fingers.
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