Leo
Harmonay - The Blink of an Eye
The
Blink of an Eye is one of 2016’s best albums in the folk/blues vein. Much of it
is powered by acoustic instruments, but that shouldn’t confuse listeners that
the collection is some elevator music approximation or soft-pedaled imitation.
Each of its ten songs are marked by unquestionable authenticity and are never
content simply aping the genre basics. Harmonay, instead, consistently attempts
expanding the vocabulary of the form with unexpected instrumental moments and
novel turns on tradition that never sounds out of place in this context. He has
an unique vision for traditional music that reflects his personality and
experiences in a way that few performers of this style manage in the modern
era. There’s no self-indulgence here either and Harmonay’s voice is quite up to
the task of retaining the listener’s attention over the course of The Blink of
an Eye’s ten songs.
“Up
to You” starts The Blink of an Eye off with a blues song. It isn’t some clumsy
or hamfisted attempt to summon the form’s expected turns but, instead, takes on
the style with surprising ease. The personal desperation in the lyrical content
never goes in for melodrama either and, instead, speaks with the same
plain-spoken physicality that the drumming embodies in its bare bones approach.
“River Dancer” has much more sophistication than the first song, but it isn’t
radically different in tone and temperament from the other tracks. The same
attention to detail that fuels the lyrics of songs like the opener is just as
present in these more poetic-minded outings and the same unerring instinct for
artistic taste stays just as steady here as elsewhere. The musicianship is
quite high here, but naturally keeps its focus on remaining accessible to
listeners. Backing vocals have a significantly positive effect on “Washing
Myself Clean”, but it isn’t because Harmonay needs the singing help. Instead,
the chorus of supporting voices gives the song a light suggestion of gospel
that many will enjoy. He reins in his adventurous edge on the song “Wounds of
Love” and gives listeners one of The Blink of an Eye’s most accomplished folk
tunes. He backs it up with a sparkling vocal full of emotion and smarts.
“Gone
Are the Days” has a rough-hewn sound quite unlike many of the others songs and
Harmonay’s vocals are more than up to the task of match its forcefulness.
“Dirty River Town” is, like “Wounds of Love”, a pure and unadulterated folk
song that doesn’t run very long but has an impressively complete feel and seems
to encompass an entire world in less than three minutes. The album’s
conclusion, “The Joy in Our Sadness”, is the most musically ambitious piece on
this release and has a great lyric that speaks to the heart with clarity and
just the right touch of poetic grace. It ends The Blink of an Eye on an elegiac
note, but listeners won’t walk away disheartened. Despite its often rueful or
sad demeanor, these are ultimately life affirming songs that Harmonay invests
with gentleness, passion, and patient artistry.
9
out of 10 stars
CD
BABY: http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/leoharmonay
Aaron
Ellis
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