Tell Me That You Love Me
Skate Mountain, 2018
9/10
Listen to Tell Me That You Love Me
Alabama residents with a penchant for Appalachia sounds, the 5 piece Americana-pop outfit The Underhill Family Orchestra know their way around a swirling, lush and extremely memorable tune where grooves, harmonies and southern influences are never in short supply.
“Oak Holler” starts the listen with folksy acoustic strumming before quickly moving into an energetic rocker where many voices help flesh out the fun, and “Chickasaw Fields” follows with a rootsy duet that’s full of swift melodies and jangly instrumentation.
In the middle, “Nebraska Town” flows with a gospel feel as thumping percussion and intricate guitar work highlight the affair, while “Wooden Hymnal In C” enters soulful territory, where instruments are sparse but the singing is strong. “On The Wind”, one of the album’s best, then offers pretty female vocals that build into a rugged, soaring Americana rocker that’s loud, harmonic and just so radiant.
Near the end, “The Door/The Heart” resides closer to folk-rock with steady acoustic strumming where bouts of majestic, anthemic rock are present, and “Holy Roller” ends the listen calm, with a slow burning track that erupts into a piano fueled rocker before fading out.
A record that will leave your body unable to sit still and that could also make you just want to mull things over, Tell Me That You Love Me nearly redefines Americana with its occasional funk nods and harder rock moments, effective making The Underhill Family Orchestra one of the most exciting entities that exists today.
Travels well with: Animal Years- Far From Home; Wild Rivers- Eighty-Eight