It’s refreshing to know that there are still people somewhere in the world who enjoy making music that’s neither saturated with production nor so experimental as to be unappealing. The five members who make up the New York based Ollabelle are firmly entrenched in this idea, and on their second album, Riverside Battle Songs, they deliver a collection of timeless roots-based folk that almost glistens with Americana. Yet in developing a record that adheres so wonderfully to its folk and country leanings without burying them in tradition, the band neglects to overcome those very same trappings. It’s a frustration one gets when listening to this album not because it isn’t good, but because you think it could be a lot better. However, perhaps that is not Ollabelle’s agenda. If the plan indeed is to create a paean true to its roots without offending caustic ears, then this might be the wisest path.
First and foremost, what makes this set shine in the face of other contemporary folk releases is its employment of a collective singing voice. While Amy Helm helms much of the vocal quality pervasive in these songs, like in the softly engraining “Everything Is Broken,” the rest of the group proves that the most effective moments and the most compelling are those when five can sound as one. It’s a device that lends even their original material a rustically communal sound so that it is at times difficult to separate traditional fare from the demonstrations of their own formidable songwriting skills. For instance, the traditional “Riverside” bristles with such a sparkling vocal arrangement in the backdrop of a softly drumming production space that it manages to highlight the vocal performances as new inspiration. Similarly, “Last Lullaby,” an original tune, embraces that same philosophy to an even higher degree, which helps the record arrive at a destination not too far off from the other stopping points of the journey. Therein lies the only complaint -- that the record is so successful at creating a cohesion between the traditional and the original that the distinguishing landmarks of individuality are often difficult to gleam.
That’s not to say, however, that the endeavor fails completely. Taking the long way around and viewing each song for what it is, the sedate “Northern Star” is a beautiful reminder that we’re all OK while “Reach For Love” is a pleasantly brusque tirade on weary love. However, “Blue Northern Lights” stands out as the records most successful track. It directs a painful coalescing of sound, words, and visuals to create a gloriously plaintive lament, and it helps the listener to see why this music is so effective. You don’t always need to be homecoming queen and you don’t always have to be the star quarterback of team. Sometimes it’s better, if not more effective, to hurt together and to cry together. Moreover, conveying universal pining and longing is perhaps most effective served on a simple, unadorned platter. If not to ingenuity and spark, it is a philosophy that at the least lends itself to wonderful musical integrity, as beautifully evidenced by Ollabelle. |