If you don’t know who Gregory Alan Isakov is then get to know. You might have heard some of his more popular songs such as Big Black Car or Amsterdam, which I would highly recommend. But in this post, I’d like to give a bit of a review on his newest album Appaloosa Bones.
Although I’m quite a fan of Gregory’s, it has taken me a bit of time to listen to the whole album. Maybe that’s just because I kept relistening to the first few songs over and over again, but having now listened to the whole album through a couple times, I feel like I can give a full opinion on the whole album.
This is Gregory’s sixth studio album, his fifth one having been nominated at the Grammy’s for Best Folk Album. So his music is very folky, but also has some good indie vibes in there too. I’ve also just learned that he was born in South Africa but now lives in Colorado, where he farms in his spare time. Love that for him.
But anyway, getting into the album. It starts off with The Fall. This song sets the tone very well for the rest of the album. How the melody starts with just piano brings a really nice start to the album, followed by Gregory coming in quite abruptly; this almost feels like falling suddenly. The rest of the song has a beautiful mix of falsetto notes quickly followed by a lower register that just really hits the spot. This song is a favourite of mine.
I won’t go through every song on the album, but some more of my favourites are Before the Sun, which has a slightly more country feel to it (with what I think is a banjo and the harmonica?), along with Watchman, and Feed Your Horses, which beautifully ends the album. Another honourable mention is the ending of Silver Bell, where Gregory sings “swing high, swing low, come to carry”. There’s just something about a religious reference in a song that I love.
Finally, the title track named Appaloosa Bones is possibly the best on the album. The song has a slower vibe to it that sounds more similar to his earlier popular songs. The lyrics feel very personal too. But the best part has to be the instrumental after the second chorus. It’s one of those songs that makes you feel like floating.
Overall, I absolutely love this album. I think it’s so beautifully written and composed. This is the sort of album that you would listen to with earphones in really loud and just stare at the ceiling. It’s perfect for any vibe (well like maybe not a rave) and I will be listening to it everyday until I get absolutely sick of it.