Many Voices
Denton, Texas, United States | Established. Jan 01, 2013
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Hailing from Denton, Texas, Many Voices is a soulful and sweet-sounding group that shows real promise with their first album, Mountains and Other Faraway Things.
“I Rode On” has harmonizing vocals and simple but compelling lyrics over solid, under-stated instrumentals; the song is endearing and comforting to start out the album like walking into a house-jam. The second song, “Hammer,” rings in the same vein as “John Henry”- one of my all time favorite traditional ballads- but with a more personal and affirming tone, and without a death at the end; it’s easy to see this as maybe written from the point of view of a young John Henry, optimistic and full of promise. “Nevermind” follows up with bigger, more encompassing swells of music that end almost abruptly with a clipped sound before moving into the next song. “Dawn” takes a bit of a detour, shifting from large and symphonic to a limited vocabulary of singer and guitar, but still impresses with all that can be said in this little language. This simple sound carries over into the first half of “Many voices,” but many other musical voices soon join in the playful tune. “Any Other Man” takes the playfulness to a new level, and in this song, the album hits its highest level of energy with an empowering and powerful tune about the power of a single individual in this world. “Bon Chance” is an instrumental ending to this album that leaves you wanting more, and if you listen past the end, there’s an Easter egg to be had.
Especially for a first album, this one is a treat. Check them out, show them some love, and share a little bit of the joy they bring with a friend. Happy (almost) Monday, Ear to the Ground readers!
Personnel: Elliot Liebman (Guitar, Vocals), Anthony Corsaro (Percussion), Robert Trusko (Bass, Vocals), Isabel Crespo (Vocals), Jordan Coffing (Vocals)
Tracks:I Rode On, Hammer, Nevermind, Dawn, Many Voices, Any Other Man, Bon Chance - Ear To The Ground Music
Discography
Porches Like These - Single (2013)
Mountains and Other Faraway Things (2014)
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Bio
What holds this band together is the sincerity of it all. They bring you into this music like it’s your living room.
Many Voices is an intense, yet playful group of singer-songwriters hailing from Denton TX, well loved for the the emotional power and vulnerability of their live performances. These five composers, four singers, explore a wide range of textures and moods in their music, often trading microphones and instruments alike.
Many Voices’ debut album, Mountains and Other Faraway Things, is the creation of bandleader and guitar player, Elliot Liebman. This album explores the inner struggle of a post-suburban youth. With lyrics “simple but compelling” (Ear To The Ground Music), Liebman exposes the pain and confusion of a young idealist as he emerges into an unexpectedly indifferent world.
This type of heavy, introspective music is only half of what Many Voices has to offer. “We’ve really been trying to balance the set,” says bass player, Robert Trusko, “and turn all this darkness into something positive”.
The exhausted, sepia mornings of “Many Voices”, for instance, transform into a celebration of struggle with the rallying chorus of “Any Other Man”. And the crippling indecision of “Nevermind” breathes a heavy sigh of relief in “Tonight You Belong to Me,” a syrupy duet which may have you drinking out of a mason jar. Songs like “Windshield,” a rocked out ukulele number, or the summertime anthem, “Porches Like These,” usually sung by the entire audience, have become a staple of the set, and a lighthearted retreat from the more intense material. Many Voices’ live show takes you through the band’s darkest moments, and brings you into the light on the other side.
Drawing heavily on folk elements for the core of their sound, Many Voices achieves the intensity and drama of a rock band, with a complexity and color palate all their own.
“Shifting from large and symphonic to a limited vocabulary of singer and guitar... [Many Voices] impresses with all that can be said in this little language”
-Ear To The Ground Music
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