front country impossible world

​Front Country (from the album Impossible World available on Antifragile Music)
(by Joe Burcaw) 
 
I must confess, I have been really digging the trio format as of late. I admire musicians who are multi-instrumentalists as a way of compensating for lack of physical bodies and appendages. Groups such as The Police, Rush, and King’s X have pushed the boundaries over their careers, creating a huge wall of sound with only three people steering the boat. Let me introduce Front Country, a Roots/Pop outfit originating from the San Francisco Bay Area (now calling Music City home) have released their monumental masterpiece third album, Impossible World. Full disclosure, I don’t use the phrase ‘monumental masterpiece’ lightly, this brilliant piece of work grabs you from the first utter soaring out of Melody Walker’s mouth. “How Can You Sing” is a prime example of the power and control Walker exudes as a lead vocalist. I watched an acoustic version of the song on Facebook and immediately went to a place of solace, creating images within my mind of peaceful landscapes and golden plains of existence where pain and suffering do not exist. 
 
This stripped-down version proves that a killer ‘hook’ will enhance any composition no matter what genre it may be performed in. Adam Roszkiewicz’s simplistic mandolin line counters the vocals effortlessly, and it is that intentional (or non-intentional) decision to play less that makes so much more of an impact throughout the song. Jacob Groopman added an interesting synth pad with what looked like a midi keyboard, very subtle yet impactful nonetheless. “Miracle” is another stand-out track that could have been released in the synth heavy era of the 80’s, yet it sounds relevant and fresh in contemporary times. Walker’s stacked backing vocals really showcase her ability to command the harmony without getting in the way of the other instruments. I couldn’t help but think of Bonnie Raitt and Carly Rae Jepsen when trying to pin point vocal influences on this one, I am seriously in love with this woman’s voice!  A quick sidenote, the eight-bar atmospheric guitar effect reminded me of former Duran Duran guitarist, Warren Cuccurullo and his crafty way of pushing the envelope with FX pedals. It was a clever breakdown that I went back to and put on repeat quite often. “Amerikan Dream’s” lyrical content emphasizes that situations in ‘the mother land’ aren’t as great as they seem to be, ‘working in a warehouse with no AC, you’re free to believe in the Amerikan Dream’. ‘The shadow in the mirror our own hypocrisy, we’re free to believe in the Amerikan Dream’. ‘When are we gonna wake up and when are we gonna see, we’re afraid to leave the Amerikan Dream’. Words of truth that a better life exists out there, but sometimes we feel stuck by the system that is trying to keep us down, at least that is what I perceived when listening to the words. It’s a great up-tempo number that really pushes the pulse with the bass dropping quarter-note stabs on the downbeat of the kick drum. The arpeggiated banjo drives the feel too, very cool things happening all over this track. I stand firm with a fist in the air supporting Front Country, and highly recommend checking them out on their social media platforms and official website. Looking forward to seeing them live if they ever tour up in the New England area, once life normalizes again! (by Joe Burcaw)
 
Listen and buy the music of Front Country from AMAZON
 
For more information head over to the Front Country website
 
 
 

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