​Nefesh Mountain (from the album Beacons

​Nefesh Mountain (from the album Beacons

​Nefesh Mountain (from the album Beacons available on Eden Sky Records) (by Lee Zimmerman)

Nefesh Mountain have never made a secret of their desire to bend boundaries and take traditional music into a new terrain. The Upstate New York-based band, fronted by the husband-wife team comprised of singer Soni Zasloff and vocalist, guitarist and banjo player Eric Lindberg, have long made it a habit to incorporate Americana, Folk, and Bluegrass as well as hints of Jazz and Blues, into their far-flung repertoire, sharing a celebration of their Jewish heritage and love of Roots music in the process.
 
Given their verve and versatility, it’s hardly surprising that their new album, Beacons, should be spread across two discs, one of which is billed as ‘unadulterated Americana’, and the other ostensively bathed in Bluegrass. The 18 tracks feature an array of notable contributors, including Sam Bush, Jerry Douglas, Stuart Duncan, Mark Schatz, Greg Leisz, Rob McCoury, and Cody Kilby.Naturally, as with any offering from this particular band, the sounds remain in sync, despite any outward claims of disparity. It’s more a matter of quantity than concept that seems to necessitate the need for a divide. Each of these offerings share similar circumstance, that being the sprawling heartland heritage that gave birth to the sounds and styles that all contribute to the vast Americana umbrella. 

As a result, the first disc boasts a series of songs that are, by turns, both solemn and celebratory. The rousing “Race to Run” and the solid stomp of “Milestoned” form a decided contrast to the austere echoes of “What Kind of World”, which itself veers from the Bluesy “Heaven Is Here”, and the carefree, carousing “Mother.” If Nefesh Mountain had simply stopped short and released nothing more, the variety would have been ample all on its own.  Nevertheless, the fact that the pair wrote the majority of these offerings — covers of Derek and the Dominos’ “Keep On Growing” and the Rodney Crowell composition “Song for the Life,” in addition to a sturdy take on the traditional standard “Keep Your Lamp Trimmed and Burning” prove the sole exceptions — affirm the duo’s proficiency. 

As a result, there’s an assured symmetry between the two discs. While the jaunty “Regrets in the Rearview”, a robust “This Is Me”, and the thoughtful twosome “Better Angels” and “Little Longer”, are based on a Bluegrass template, their Americana origins are prominent as well. It’s merely the emphasis on an added pluck or strum that distinguish the tracks on disc two from those on disc one as far as sound and style. The only real exceptions fall to the instrumentals “No Farm, No Howl” and “The Overgrown Reel”, and the tender and touching “Man of Manzanita”, the latter released as the album’s first single that includes a tribute to the influential and iconic Bluegrass guitarist, the late Tony Rice. 

Taken in tandem, Beacons marks yet another high point in the progression of this decidedly determined duo. As the title implies, it’s an illuminating effort indeed.  (by Lee Zimmerman) 
 
Listen and buy the music of Nefesh Mountain from AMAZON
Please go to the Nefesh Mountain website for more information