Shane Palko is an independent alternative folk musician from Pennsylvania. He has performed his original music across six continents in over twenty countries. On top of that he has released eleven albums and has worked with Joni Mitchell and Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young, The Flaming Lips, Rage Against The Machine and more. Today we will be talking about his recent release Allegedly Here and Now.
The album begins with “The Train is Bound for Love” and some of my first thoughts were that there were similarities to the band Fleet Foxes. It’s not just the acoustic instrumentation. It’s also the vocals which sound similar to Robin Pecknold. I thought it was a minimalistic song that showed off his abilities as a songwriter. Fantastic start. “Roots Like You” is next and on this song we get a rhythm section. The song however starts with guitar, vocals and some atmosphere. If you listen closely you can hear what sounds like crickets and forest life in the background. I loved the groove that comes into the mix about halfway through. It’s catchy, easy on the ears and well-delivered. On “Winnebago” we get some exceptional guitar picking with sparse piano. It’s quite melancholy and beautiful at the same time. I liked his voice more and more. Similar to the previous song we get a groove about halfway through. On this song it’s more of a rolling beat with airy kinetic drum work. “Sitting/Wondering” is an instrumental piece with guitar and orchestral strings. It’s cinematic and felt like there was a lot of room in the song for the elements to breathe. Palko continues with great songwriting. “Marcie” is a mid-energy song that is one of the catchiest songs and I like the stream of conscious type lyrics while “Catch Yourself” continues with a similar emotional resonance. “For Oz” is a little bit more experimental in some ways. Some of the sound design was hard to pinpoint. Some of it sounded like forest life. I wasn’t always sure what I was listening to exactly but it all worked in the mix. “Stained Glass Moon” might be the most beautiful vocal delivery. There’s a delicate quality to his delivery and also some exceptional guitar picking. The song has a warm welcoming melancholy that creates a sense of solace in the listener. That somber quality continues with “Moments, Passing.” The last song entitled “Love Is Here to Stay, But We Are Not” is fast - under a minute - but felt like a good way to end. Palko is very talented. He’s the type of musician that doesn't need more than a guitar and his vocals to create something beautiful. I think fans of folk and Americana will enjoy this most especially if you dig Fleet Foxes. Take a listen.
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