Some bands never let you down. In an unpredictable world we need a constant factor. Swarme of Beese makes albums with regularity. Now they have released a new album called "Orchard of Dreams". From the product description: "The band’s fourth album — eight tracks that weave together historical & contemporary themes through poetic storytelling, ethereal vocal harmonies, & atmospheric instrumental arrangements. Four songs are newly written by the group’s songwriting duo Lynne Adele & Stephen Canner, together with Ms. Adele’s bittersweet reframing of Canner’s “Distant Father” from a woman’s perspective, & three traditional ballads — the first time the trio has deviated from recording original material to explore some of their early folk influences. Highlights include the title track, a tribute to the American folk hero & visionary plantsman known as Johnny Appleseed; the cinematic “Wreck of the Elizabeth,” inspired by the tragic death of the trailblazing Transcendentalist writer Margaret Fuller; “The Shallow River,” a heartfelt anthem reflecting on the humanitarian crisis facing immigrants & asylum seekers; & an unsettling interpretation of the 19th-century American dystopian folk ballad “State of Arkansas.”
The album contains four new songs, one rearranged song and three traditional ballads. Usually, I strongly advise against making interpretations of ballads. It will end in tears. We all have strong opinions of how they should be constructed and sound like. However, the band's take on the ballads brings something new to the table. "The Cuckoo" has been covered to death. Swarme of Beese brings new life to it with interchanging female and male vocal parts. I don't think the occurence of ballads is sign of that they have run of out of ideas. Their songwriting skills are intact. This is demonstrated in "Wreck of the Elizabeth", which is one of the highlights on the album. The closing song is "State of Arkansas", a traditional American folk song, detailing a traveler's miserable experiences in the state. In this ballad, Swarme of Beese abandon their sophisticated and delicate sound and mangle us for six whole minutes.
The best songs are "Distant Father (Her Version)", "The Cuckoo", "Wreck of Elizabeth" and, last but not least, "State of Arkansas". Executive summary: another solid album from Swarme of Beese. The sound quality is clean and euphonic. You can listen to "Orchard of Dreams" and buy it in the format of your choice at Bandcamp, just click here (opens in a new window).