The Ballad Of Aesop Fin
Self-Released, 2022
8/10
Listen to The Ballad Of Aesop Fin
The western North Carolina singer-songwriter and guitarist Barrett Davis brings the influences of his rural upbringing and musical family to these 8 sincere and very accomplished songs, where contributions from Woody Platt (vocals), JT Linville (double bass), Derrick Gardner (piano/organ), Owen Grooms (banjo/electric banjo), Jackson Dulaney (dobro/pedal steel/lap steel), Ryan Sargent (percussion/drums), Noah Gardner (fiddle/cello) and Johanna Davis (vocals) won’t go unnoticed.
“Highway 64” starts the listen with a rich, indie-folk sound that uses warm guitar and expressive singing in its rural energy, and “Carolina Still” follows with a more upbeat appeal that’s got some bluegrass tendencies amid the cautious climate.
“Oh Sleeper” lands in the middle, and is a dreamy, bare album highlight that showcases a very intimate beauty, while “Bama Shores” shimmers with a glowing, country friendly presence that’s both stirring and adventurous.
The final 2 selections, “Lazarus” and the title track, don’t disappoint either, where the former recruits gentle folk harmonies and aching pedal steel for the sublime delivery, and the latter brings Americana, bluegrass, country and folk into a lush and timeless exit.
Davis took a lengthy break from music to start his family and run a business, and here he takes his past experience in the outfits Foxfire and the more recent Pretty Little Goat, and pens a very honest body of work that is full of soft melodies that might just remind you of the first time you heard Iron & Wine, which could never be a bad thing.
Travels well with: Michael Paul Lawson- Love Songs For Loners; Derek Hoke- Electric Mountain