Cracked, Flawed And Frayed
Sam’s Handmade, 2021
9/10
Listen Cracked, Flawed And Frayed
A Houston, Texas trio who are firmly planted in the area of folk rock but certainly tip their hat to Americana and even some subtle grit towards punk rock, Brightwire also take help from members of The Urban Pioneers and Grifters & Shills on this exceptional sophomore album.
“Out Of Smokes” gets the listen started with spirited harmonica and warm twang as rugged yet melodic vocals from Samuel and Kimberly Barker radiate with a timeless Americana angle, and “Tears Through The Sunshine” unfolds with breezy folk rock that benefits much from Kimberly’s pretty pipes, as well as Samuel’s precise drumming.
Landing near the middle, “Before The Ghosts” offers a raw, rural quality with an anthemic appeal that would go well with a Tim Barry record, while “Playing Favorites” is a calmer display of organic beauty where subtle violin adds much to the poetic beauty. “Save Myself”, written by Susan Garlington Parsons, is another sublime track that brings lush, cautious instrumentation to a heartfelt climate.
Further yet, the precise acoustic strumming of “The Righteous Hand” presents a darker spirit as vivid storytelling hints at alt-country territory, and “Goodbye Letter” exits the listen with strategic electric guitar amid a rugged, even retro appeal that embraces guitar crunch and some of the most firm singing on the record.
A very diverse listen that welcomes dobro and washboard, among many others, Samuel and Kimberly Barker and Michael Helfenstein have crafted one of the most memorable folk albums in recent history, and the contributions from John Stoll (electric guitar, baritone guitar, harmonica, upright bass, theremin), and Liz Sloan McGovern (violin, fiddle) further solidify Cracked, Flawed and Frayed as essential listening in 2021.
Travels well with: Grifters & Shills- Pretty Little Secrets; The Jayhawks- XOXO