He kicks off the disc with “Early Grave,” the violin having that great old-time, cheerful vibe. Then when his vocals come in, there is a more modern sense to the song. There is also a good humor to it, as you can hear in lines like these: “Now I love that woman, and she loves me/No one finer as far as I can see/But listening to her rant and rave/That girl gonna send me to an early grave.” There is a good energy to his playing. Sure, he may be worried about an early grave, but the song has a lively feel to it, making us think he’s going to be okay, and that perhaps even the relationship is going to be okay. After all, there is an undeniable fondness apparent in his delivery. “Now the doctor says I’m healthy, my heart is strong/I’ll make a hundred years if I live that long/She’s faster than music, 1980s new wave/That girl gonna send me to an early grave.” Then there is a more serious air about “Into The Past” as it begins, and the song’s first lines give the disc its title: “Two rivers crossing in the valley below/On a train out of Whitehorse with nowhere to go.” And the sound of the train’s engine “Pulls him right back into the past.” And though this song utilizes the “shelf”/“self” rhyme, it is still quite good, a strong folk song. There is a pretty instrumental section in the second half that I wish went on a little longer. “Now I know tomorrow’s coming, but it seems so far away/Train gets to Seattle in another day/He remembers her voice, and how her beauty seemed so vast/Looking out the window into the past.” One of the things I love about this track is the different ways that people are brought back into the past, the different causes, the different agents. And of course the appeal or allure of returning to the past, for whatever the reason might be, is something we can all relate to.
“Complete Surprise” has the vibe of a traditional Irish folk song as it begins, with that steady beat and the delicious style of his violin playing, so I am immediately on board. This song also features some wonderful lyrics, such as “Giving up hope, the deadliest of sins” and “I didn’t realize, I didn’t have a clue/Never understood what I was supposed to do.” And I love the song’s main lines: “To my complete surprise/The world keeps turning, the sun does rise/You say hello, you say goodbye/To my complete surprise.” Excellent, right? These lines should really strike home for anyone having a difficult time. And how is this for a positive line: “Taught myself to swim just as I capsized.” This is one of my personal favorite tracks, in part because of the lyrics. The past then comes to face him again in “Long Ago,” which has a more somber sense about it as it begins. It is interesting that the past so often presents itself in such serious tones. “Saw your face, thought it was you/Heard your voice, it cut right through.” And “Morning comes, the darkness returns” is such a good line, for it is surprising, the opposite of what we might expect, and the meaning of it grabs us right away. “Not sure what happened, guess I’ll never know/We were friends once long ago.” This is the other of my two favorite tracks. It is a powerful song.
Then check out these lines from “The Wolves Of Laredo”: “The wolves of Laredo/Ghosts on the plateau/Singing songs that they learned long ago/Now they’re just a memory faded into the valley below.” So yes, this one too speaks of the past. This track also features some beautiful work on the violin, particularly in that section in the middle. And that is the part that really stands out to me. The disc concludes with “Shantallow,” its only instrumental track, and another highlight. I love music that transports me, as this does. There is something timeless about this piece.
CD Track List
- Early Grave
- Into The Past
- Complete Surprise
- Long Ago
- The Wolves Of Laredo
- Shantallow
Two Rivers Crossing was released on October 15, 2022.
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