Singer/songwriter/guitarist/mandolinist Rob Morrison founded New York-based quartet The Booklights back in 2014. The band, which includes Lauren Molina (cello), Rachel Green (fiddle) and Benny Elledge (percussion) used 2020 to remotely record their debut EP, the five-track Into a Ball.
They call themselves a “futuristic Americana” group, which isn’t a bad generalization. Their instrumentation--acoustic guitars, mandolins, strings and non-drum kit percussion--gives the sound a definite Americana base. But they’re not just another foot-stomping jug band. The rich vocal harmonies they’ve layered on top are more ‘70s golden-era pop than folk. Further, each of the five tracks blends their Americana roots with a different genre, giving the listener a nice variety while still maintaining an album-level coherence. The opener “Waywiser” uses a pounding bass drum and string parts to give it a down-home folk feel. The Booklights give it their own spin with country-like vocal harmonies, slide guitar parts and some other sound effects that might reveal hidden meanings if played backwards. Later in the track, there’s some great vocal call-and-response, in the jazz/blues tradition. It’s a fine introduction to the group’s sound. “My Woman, the Almanac” finds The Booklights exploring country with a standard acoustic-guitar pattern and lyrical references to kudzu, fences, whippoorwills and the sun turning “as purple as a blackberry.” The strings and vocal harmonies are particularly sweet on this track. However, if I called Mrs. Thayer an almanac, she’d throw that book (and possibly some others) at me, but, hey, to each his own. The mandolin runs and fiddle give “Slingshot,” the next track, an Appalachian folk feel. It has a fun, jaunty melody; with different instrumentation in the hands of a Nashville producer, this could be a modern-country hit. Of course, country hits aren’t the point of Into a Ball, but there’s some catchy songwriting here. Similarly, the plucky “Sweeter on the Vine”--what the band dubs “1930s-style novelty music”--might find additional life in a commercial for the California Tomato Growers Association. With a little claymation, The Booklights could be the 2020s version of the California Raisins. “All Tomorrow’s Parties” rounds out the set with an orchestral, cinematic take on a rags-to-riches story, in a winking nod to the album title. The vocal harmonies are rich and thick, and there are some deep sounds buried underneath (possibly some detuned, distorted electric guitars?) to give it some extra dramatic flair. The strummed mandolins work well with Elledge’s percussion to move things along, and we listeners are left happy as the track fades off. The Booklights has started off strong with Into a Ball. They’ve created an appealing instrumental and vocal sound to support their well-constructed songs and will fit right into your Americana/folk/country playlists.
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