Sometimes I go on spurts of finding lots of new music I want to listen to all at once, and that happened recently. I don’t remember exactly how, but Longbranch/Pennywhistle came into my suggestions on Apple Music somehow, and I was quite excited to save it and give it a listen. Just the album name has such a folksy feel to it – I really dig it. Then after doing some digging on the internet, I found that the group featured Glenn Frey and John David Souther, both of the Eagles. After that, I was sold, and figured I’d give this one a listen tonight.
“Jubilee Anne” has a really awesome twangy acoustic guitar that plays really well with the bass guitar, holy smokes. This song is absolutely awesome. Definitely very country, but has a really nice folky feeling to it as well. It’s almost a twangy bluesy country type song. That bass guitar tone is absolutely awesome. Wow, I’m super digging this song. That pedal steel slide guitar really brings an awesome New Riders of the Purple Sage sort of country feel to it. Wow, this song is really awesome, I can’t wait for the rest of the album.
“Run Boy, Run” has a really great feel to the drums – I really dig the sound of them in this one. Wow, the instrumentation is really superb. I don’t know if Frey and Souther were the only musicians to play on this album, but I’m super impressed right now. There’s a really awesome feeling of haste culminated by the drums, bass, piano, and guitars. Wow, that electric guitar solo is super sweet. I’m really digging the strumming of the acoustic; it almost serves as a secondary percussion part to the song.
“Rebecca” has a very gentle, caressing feel to the song already. I really dig the vocals in this one – I don’t know who the woman is that’s singing, but it really adds a great texture to the track. That bass has such a rocking, sweet feel to it. Honestly this track is just a very pleasant listening experience.
“Lucky Love” has a sort of Texas country feel to it. Not necessarily outlaw in nature, but walking the line with the law in its sound – though it feels pretty introspective in theme to a certain extent. I really dig that fiddle giving the song a really of-the-earth feeling, especially when combined with that twangy acoustic. Wow, that percussion and bass really go together very well.
“Kite Woman” has a very pleasant sort of classic country, nearly folk, feel to it. It’s not necessarily country rock, but it does remind me of groups like New Riders of the Purple Sage and the Flying Burrito Brothers. The instrumentation never takes a break – it feels like it always keeps up the pace and continually evolves. There’s definitely a lot of music packed into this album up to this point. The outro has a really nice relaxed feel to it.
Oh wow, “Bring Back Funky Women” has a super groovy introduction. That bass is definitely rocking out a bit, and you add in the distorted electric guitar that sounds like is being played from a distance and you’re left with a country rock tune unlike one I’ve ever really listened to. That bass guitar is absolutely awesome, wow. It really does have a bit of funk to it. Awesome song.
“Star-Spangled Bus” has a really rollicking piano intro part, and it feels like the song is evolving to be a great little country-inflected rock and roll song. Wow, that piano is really awesome. And wow, that bass guitar really moves the song up and down in a really sweet way. The drums keep the track driving forward, and the guitars really keep the song centered. Oh wow, that lead electric guitar that just came on has a really sweet tone – it almost reminds me of 1971 era Jerry Garcia’s tone. Oh wow, that’s absolutely awesome. This album is pretty sick so far.
“Mister, Mister” has a really gentle feel to it. That bass guitar really has a sweet serenity to it that really carries the tune wherever it seems to go. The vocals feel extra delicate to this one. That piano really adds such a great layer to the song when it comes in – really relieving the some of tension that the song had built up so far. Wow, I can’t help but tap my hands along to the song. There’s such a great emotion to this one – almost bluesy, but not quite, and pretty folksy as well.
“Don’t Talk Now” picks up the tempo a bit with a super twangy, slow yet driven country rock song. That electric guitar has a really great sound to it. The piano really adds a great feeling to the composition. Wow, that dreamy twanginess to this track takes you out there, and meanwhile you hear the chops of the strumming of the acoustic guitar keep you grounded. The songwriting in this one is super excellent. There’s a real grit that comes through in the vocals in this one. Excellent song.
“Never Have Enough” has an almost celebratory, conclusive feel to it. That bass really has such a fullness to it – really awesome. I really dig what’s going on with the percussion in this one, I’m not sure what the instrument is called but it gives a real steady, relatively fast-paced feel to it. This song really feels like it continually builds on itself at all turns. Wow, whenever the vocals have a bit of grit to them it feels so satisfactory as that grit is so scantly used. This song definitely is groovy. Oh wow, that rollicking piano in the background really has such a great flavor. I’m really digging the percussion in this one – really builds on itself the whole time. I especially like how the song fades away into the infinite – like it’ll be played forever. Awesome song.
Wow, this album is absolutely awesome. I don’t honestly have that much exposure to the Eagles, but I know they’re wildly successful and the songs I do know are really awesome. Longbranch/Pennywhistle only has this album that I know of, but I’ll be sure to check out more of the Eagles soon. This is a really enjoyable album to listen to, especially if you’re fans of early country rock and/or folk music at all – and it’s only 31 minutes long so its a great listen for those interested in the genre, but are hesitant at making a larger time commitment to do so. If you do take a listen, I do sincerely hope that you enjoy the album at least as much as I did.
-A