Quiet Lion - Whatever you say

Quiet Lion

Whatever You Say
Jenke Records; 2013

4.0 out of 5

By Matt Jensen

Listening to the latest album from Quiet Lion entitled Whatever You Say feels like an organic, experience to me. It’s filled with warm acoustic instruments like guitars, fiddles and upright bass that when they play together feels intrinsic and natural. The whole listening experience has a rustic quality to it that reminded me of a homey cabin in the woods, simple pleasures and getting back to the basics. Whatever You Say does a great job at eliciting some of the most essential and pure emotions from ourselves as melancholy, hope and beauty are sometimes simultaneously experienced.

Hailing from Burlington, Vermont, Quiet Lion is a folk duo consisting of Tommy Alexander and Alanna Grace Flynn. They both sing on this album and I have to say I loved both their voices and it seemed almost tailored for the pure, honest folk music they are producing. Alexander has such a good voice for folk. It feels pure, distinct and has a tinge of melancholy. Flynn sounds similar to how female country stars used to sound in the 70’s. 

We are treated to hear both their voices on the first song called “Heart Don’t Mind” as they split vocals on the verse and create some gorgeous duos during the chorus. I'm usually a sucker for harmonizing of male and female vocals and this is no exception. This is one of the better songs on the album and in someway it epitomizes their biggest strengths. “100 Pictures” is a solid song that features only Flynn on vocals while “Whatever You Say” displays some fantastic fiddle and is probably the catchiest song on the album. It features sing-along type melodies that are abundant making to easy to fall in love with. Another highlight on the album was “Vermont” which reminded me of American Revival music (acoustic guitars and a homecoming type of feeling to it ). The album closes with “Special Folks” which is a rather subdued song and I was happy they decided to not have a grand departure. Overall, this album is as pleasant as the sunrise and as honest as the fields the farmers work in. Do yourself a favor and take a listen.

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