The Glass Cabin of Nashville have created something that is really substantial with emmylou, a third studio album that does not follow the route of easy consolation. This is Americana wrapped in black – bourbon-streaked, philosophical, and eager to crawl inside the moral gray areas that lurk beneath the disguise of romantic devastation.
The voice of Jess Brown requires no introduction, it sounds rough and full of emotions in a manner that is not artificial. The weight of real history rests upon his performance – the roaming tramp, the lonesome songwriter who was thereafter to write hits on Lee Ann Womack and Trisha Yearwood – and credibility attaches to every word. The foundation of the record is given by the fret work of David Flint, complemented by the mandolin and the banjo that intertwine in the ocean of soundscapes without touching the emotional centers.
The sonic treatment attains incredible balance – natural and sophisticated, confident but not overloaded with decorations. Some of the tracks like What I Do and I Don’t Know show the versatility of the duo as they switch between driving country rock and thoughtful ballads whose melodies indeed stand the test of time. The rhythmic factors drive the energy in a wise manner, knowing exactly when to be highly active, and when to give silence its hour.
The distinguishing feature of emmylou is its acceptance of subtlety. These are not simple stories of love, loss but of new possibilities, emotional contradictions and the grey areas in which morality is too unclear. Locally diverse inspirations – a range of Appalachian roots to deserts – splash the musical landscapes creating a variety of sound, but maintaining the same character.
The reworking of Fleetwood Mac on the Americana sensibilities through the prism of Glass Cabin demonstrates the interpretative power in the latter, of giving new meaning to hallowed content, of being familiar with novelty, of being true-to-form with experiment.
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