Deep Greens & Blues - Chasing Horizons

Deep Greens & Blues

Chasing Horizons
self-released; 2016

3.6 out of 5

By Mike Pryzgoda
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Chasing Horizons by Deep Greens & Blues is a blend of folk, country and singer/songwriter pop taking nods from easy going ‘70s inspirations such as James Taylor and Jimmy Buffett as well as some modern artists as well. The band incorporates two lead singers and some wonderful harmonies throughout making for a lush vocal texture.


The best song on the album is “Wheels” which is one of the more stripped down numbers.   There are some beautiful violin breaks in between mandolin arpeggios and some excellent vocal melodies. The tuning on the guitar is a little suspect but it blends into the rolling elements of the song quite well. Also strong is “November Song” the closing track, which has nice concise vocal melodies with heartbreaking lyrics. The chorus is extremely strong and the violin work gorgeous. “Good Love Gone Bad” has a Tom Petty-ish riff and great interplay between the guitar and voice interweaving effortlessly and really taking off in the melodic breaks. The structure is smart too utilizing the intro and outro as its own motif. “What Would I Say” is a duet of sorts, alternating between singers, which works well as a conversation. The bass line is very melodic, the cajon is a nice touch, and the Beatles-y eighth notes on the violin before each chorus brings a chamber-pop element to the folk song. “One More Try” locks in really tight in the chorus with the harmony vocals. The guitar breaks between the singing parts are nice but gets a little busy when it plays under the singing.

“Live It Up” and “My Baby’s Got My Number” are blues variations with some truly inspired solos (the violin tremolo in “Live It Up” and the guitar solo in “My Baby’s Got My Number”).  The vocal refrains in “Live It Up” work well as does the breakdown in “My Baby’s Got My Number.”  Both songs, however, could use a little more punch.

“Love In the Darkness” has some wonderful harmonies over a church-like piano and a nice build with the rest of the band filtering in with brushed drums and steady bass. “Need You Now” is Ray Lamontaigne-esque and has some nice vocal “ooos” that blend into the slide guitar. Both of these songs are a little long though and could benefit from a little editing.

The opening track combines all of the elements of the band, the vocal harmony breaks, a nice sparse intro with acoustic guitar and violin, and the country stomp once the band enters. It gets a little busy throughout the song with the violin and mandolin competing against the vocal in the foreground (the mandolin feels like it’s mixed a little too loud throughout this song) and the harmony breakdown feels a bit forced, but once it’s in the song ends on a really strong anthemic note.

The band has lots of strengths in their vocal abilities and songwriting ideas. Some editing and tightening might help each of these songs shine even more.

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