Grateful Web - coated en The Contribution: -- 'Which Way World' <p>When members of <b>New Monsoon</b>, <b>Railroad Earth</b> and <b>String Cheese Incident</b> come together to create an album the result is Roostsy Americana bliss. <b>Contribution</b>, an appropriate name for a group whose members have bestowed many a musical gift to the masses with their previous bands, will drop <i>Which Way World</i> on March 30.</p> <p></p> <p><img src="" mce_src="/images/stories/madison_house_pr/which_way_world.jpg" alt="" title="The Contribution: Which Way World" class="caption" width="318" align="right" height="283" />An album bursting with country gumption and raw poetic flare, this debut showcases the artistic veracity and harmonious nature of some of the best musicians on today’s jam circuit. A balanced blend of old-time charm and aggressive string-heavy muscle, this collaborative effort exemplifies the razor-sharp skills of <b>Tim Carbone</b> (violin, vocals Railroad Earth), <b>Jeff Miller</b> (guitar, mandolin, vocals, New Monsoon), <b>Phil Ferlino</b> (keyboards, New Monsoon), <b>Keith Moseley</b> (bassist, the String Cheese Incident), and <b>Jason Hann</b> (percussion, the String Cheese Incident).</p> <p></p> <p>From the initial notes, “Come Around” takes off like a tumbleweed in a dust storm, moving with force, freely charting out its own territory in a sandy soundscape of earnest handclaps, vocal harmonies and a fierce web of strings. Chameleon-like in nature, this opening track captures both a mischievous apathetic side and one of comforted hope. The dichotomous lyrics of “Never mind/never mind/why?” and “Sometimes you gotta lose yourself/find yourself/come around again” play out like a fencing match of internal conflict. The track rounds things off with a whiskey soaked “I don’t care!” from <b>Carbone</b>.</p> <p></p> <p>“Time Was Only Yesterday” initially breathes saloon-singer vulnerability, and holds that vintage desire to relive the past. Unexpectedly, lyrics about a “carnival parade” are quickly met by a collage of festive circus-esque clamor. The colossal racket is spiked with the scream of brassy horns and faded shouts you would imagine escaping from the lips of a vagabond ringleader.</p> <p></p> <p>“Better Days” proves to be one of the most lyrically poignant tracks on the album. The need for nostalgia, once again, resurfaces. While it gets off to a mellow start, the harmonized sturdy chorus of ‘Gone gone away are better days,’ which culminates with the tinge of tambourine, stands out like a mighty oak left upright after a forest fire.</p> <p></p> <p>Brilliance isn’t limited to the instrumentals when you stop to absorb the momentous metaphors and similes just swimming around in the ocean of sound – “Couldn’t see the danger there/ like children scaling rocks beside the sea…”</p> <p></p> <p><img src="" mce_src="/images/stories/kalene/mosley_contribution_rothbury.jpg" alt="" title="Keith Moseley" class="caption" width="293" align="left" height="340" />“Fear of Nothing” hits the listener like a sun shower on a sweltering day. Cool, refreshing and unapologetic, it reigns down with honky tonk tenacity. The upbeat, electrifying piano-laden, tune exudes a sense of rock n’ roll, gospel and blues. Sprinkling a ferocious feminine energy to the mix, are the <b>Black Swan Singers</b> who come equipped with fierce pipes—strong enough to stir a corpse. By far the most danceable tune on the disc, it resembles a hybrid of <b>Great America Taxi</b> meets the <b>Black Crowes</b>.</p> <p></p> <p>‘Wind Me Up’ is more spoken then sung and comes across like a sincere monologue of someone who has grown tired of, but accustomed to, going through the motions. The accompaniments and vocals are reminiscent of something quirky country alt-rockers <b>Wilco </b>would create.</p> <p></p> <p>“Which Way World,” the title track of the album, captures a <b>Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young</b> vibe and yet at times it sounds more like a top ten contemporary country radio hit. Slow, steady and straight up Zenful, it’s a letter to our spinning sphere inquiring bout the very nature of its direction.</p> <p></p> <p>“Samsara” opens with piano playing that is rapidly coated by the lush emotion-evoking violin, proving that there is nothing like strings to set a melancholic mood. Capturing a rather dark tone, it sounds like a Celtic pagan homage to the earth— “I am the sky/speak through the wind/I am a shadow/darkness within...”</p> <p></p> <p>Let the musical monsoon of earthy cheese-coated goodness splash full force in a downpour that will have you tossing the umbrella and caution to the wind.</p> <div class="og_rss_groups"></div><p><a href="" target="_blank">read more</a></p> album Artists captures carbone cheese coated country force hit incident monsoon nature set sounds string The Contribution track tune violin vocals world Sat, 27 Mar 2010 12:29:12 +0000 kalene 2408 at