Many Nights Ahead
Harrisonburg, Virginia, United States | Established. Jan 01, 2012 | SELF
Music
Press
"If the performance that I heard live that recent Saturday night is any indication, these folks have a good chance to see the sky as their only limit."
"I can tell you readers that those live songs and instrumentals were solid with complex rhythms, lyrics, and delivery." - American Rhythm Music Magazine
A lean, elegant, and heartwarming EP, We Pick Around is about the finest no-frills collection of songs you’ve heard in some time. A carefree and loving take on folk, bluegrass, and country, it sounds more like a casual session by a campfire – if you’ll pardon that cliché – than anything produced in a studio. The songs are effortless and natural, playing themselves out breezily over a minimalist cascade of instruments and fluid voices. The whole thing barely lasts nineteen minutes, making a worthy play for your affections without ever lingering long enough to become repetitious or irritatingly nice.
The six songs are loosely realised odes that place more emphasis on the careful steering of the vocals than the instruments. Everything is gently rhythmic. It sounds conscientious, moving just fast enough to grasp your attention but otherwise content with a lilting pace that lets the singer set the tone. This is a fine move, as there’s not a massive amount going on here in terms of storytelling or excitement – it’s rather about charm and refinement and drawing enough of your attention to envelop you in both. Female vocalist Amy Haloskey is particularly impressive, her tones clear and hearty and fitting the genre notes like a glove. “Franklin County” and “Rollin’ River” are both showcases for her voice. The first is understated and basic, its dulcet notes falling into a natural rhythm with her performance. The latter is more mysterious – Haloskey’s voice is prying and touched by longing, lending a regal touch of emotion to the music. It isn’t as upfront as the other tracks, preferring instead to hold back and wallow in the shallows for a time.
Her co-vocalist Ross Gulliver comes into his own on “Hills of Virginia,” a sweet, earnest ode vibrant with all the affection and warmth of his voice. It’s loving and tender-hearted and very natural, seeking to charm rather than consume. “Polecat Hollow” and “Running Whiskey” are a touch cheekier and daring than the others, but rely on the same basic simplicity of sound. “Greenawalt Gap” closes the EP. An instrumental, it’s wispy and searching, flecked with brief moments of urgency. There’s a hidden drama to this one that surfaces between the shyer moments, breaking the contemplation with a call to flight. That it seems to end unresolved merely hints at what finer moments the band may yet have in mind.
Sublimely realised and quite captivating in its simplicity, We Pick Around hardly puts a foot wrong. A delightful start for Many Nights Ahead and a sign of potentially marvellous things to come.
SCORE: 9/10
Review written by Grace Duffy - Grace Duffy, Under The Gun Reviews
Discography
Still working on that hot first release.
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Bio
Formed in early 2012, Many Nights Ahead has made large strides. The group has provided a fresh take on bluegrass by integrating strong undertones of blues into their numbers. Many Nights Ahead has performed with talented bands such as: Humming House, the Grammy nominated band Yarn, Larry Keel and Natural Bridge, The Hackensaw Boys, The Delta Saints and Foxy Shazam. In January of 2013 Many Nights Ahead recorded their first EP, "We Pick Around". Grace Duffy of underthegunreview.net stated in regards to the EP, "A carefree and loving take on folk, bluegrass, and country", "We Pick Around is about the finest no-frills collection of songs you've heard in some time.", and as a "Sublimely realised and quite captivating in its simplicity, We Pick Around hardly puts a foot wrong. A delightful start for Many Nights Ahead and a sign of potentially marvelous things to come."
In the fall of 2013 the group's first full length album was produced by Mott Cameron. With 11 original numbers, one cover, and one traditional bluegrass track, the album showcases the communal approach the band takes with their song writing and composition. The range and diversity of the musicians is apparent throughout the album; ranging from bluesy, harmonica heavy numbers such as "Rollin' River" and "Carolina Tease" to more melodious tracks such as "Hollow Road" and "Hills of Virginia". In its entirety, the album's wide variety of influence and instrumentation provides for a unique listening experience.
Band Members
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