There are lots of artists, lots of songwriters, and lots of musicians out there. Many of them have made albums, and sometimes it feels like I’m being bombarded with new music, all of which is struggling to stake its claim to my ears, make itself sound unique, and stand out from the crowd. It helps if a band has an interesting story, because music set to an empty face feels less complete. Balsamo Deighton, while perhaps not as musically adept as some of the musicians I have heard, have their own fairytale narrative that helps to provide purpose and meaning to their songs.
Rosalie Deighton, for example, grew up in the successful folk band The Deighton Family, while Steve Balsamo’s highly regarded band The Storys supported the likes of Elton John, Celine Dion and Joe Cocker during their existence. Yet, the pair actually first met ten years ago at Martin Terefe’s London recording studio, as both were recording their respective debut solo albums. They instantly bonded, finding common ground as people and an ease of harmonies that helped them just slot together. Their paths crossed a few times in the years that followed, particularly when Rosalie opened for The Storys. When The Storys called it quits, the two decided to take the plunge and begin making a record together.
Fast forward to 2016 and they deliver a 12-track record, produced by John Reynolds (Sinead O’Connor, The Indigo Girls, U2), and funded by their fans at PledgeMusic. But the intriguing stories don’t stop there. Plenty of acts have interesting stories of how they found each other, but then deliver a batch of tunes that are boring, with little to say. The tracks on ‘Unfolding’ however stray from convention in their lyrical make-up, in the narratives and inspirations that guide them. On the appropriately haunting ‘The Ghost of Me And You’, for example, they describe two people trapped in a dead relationship, employing the metaphor to describe their situation like limbo before the afterlife. What’s more, the track actually includes a clip of a ‘ghost’ whispering “I kissed her”, recorded by Steve at a paranormal investigation. It’s this level of detail and ingenuity that makes their music attractive; how many bands do you know with a song called ’50 Foot Jesus’ to describe a moment of spiritual enlightenment?
Elsewhere, Balsamo Deighton continue their theme of the mind and the subconscious with ‘The Dream Song’, an upbeat arena rock track written following a conversation between Steve and pioneering composer Jon Lord’s widow, in which they discussed repeatedly meeting him in dreams and the reassurance ‘he’ gave them, even in death. Other intriguing narratives include ‘Long Way Round’, about the discovery of an affair, ‘These Four Walls’, about having to face up to the realities of a relationship ending, and ‘Run Back To Your Life’, about falling for the right person – just at the wrong time. The title track, meanwhile, tells the true story of being contacted by a father who lost his son in Afghanistan, and wanting The Storys’ song for the funeral. It’s a stripped-back and sweetly-harmonised album closer that finds the duo at their best.
However, some of the offerings lack that spark that make us want to learn more. ‘Sky Blue and Black’, ‘Ride It’, ‘Light In The Dark’ all have generic uplifting messages that make them barely discernible from anything else out there right now, and I have to say the production on this album doesn’t do it any favours. Too often Rosalie and Steve are submerged in pop-rock production that drowns out their light voices instead of spotlighting them (such as ‘Drive On’), and it can be hard to follow lyrics on some occasions. For me, they’ve gone with completely the wrong approach, particularly as they are marketing themselves as Americana/alt. country, a style which desperately requires the songs to hold utmost importance with everything else coming in second.
I would like to hear this record acoustically, or at the very least with more tasteful, artfully-applied production. There’s just too much going on for most of the tracks, when it’s not necessary. Underneath all of these musical layers are some great songs, and they need to be coaxed out, not dressed up to the nines. There is potential here, and I hope to see it realised.
Originally posted here.
