So with no job, my music-buying budget is non-existent. Many years ago as a writer and editor of music reviews, I had that sweet deal of free CDs in the mail begging for my attention. But that was many years ago.
These days, I’m pretty much out of the loop music-wise, but I still hear tell of new albums that I’d like to hear more of. So in an effort to bring myself a bit more up to speed, I thought I’d start rounding up some of the reviews written by others of new (or kind of new) releases that pique my interest.
First up is the self-titled return from a long hiatus by the Dove-award winning band Burlap to Cashmere. Normally, the phrase “Dove-award winning” would send me screaming in the other direction, but I remember this band from its original late-’90s incarnation for being both more thoughtful and more musically interesting than the typical fare that was given the imprimatur of the CCM bishops in Nashvegas. The critics suggest that’s true of their new album as well.
You can give a listen to a handful of songs at Burlap to Cashmere’s website.
If you were listening to Christian pop radio in the late ‘90s — and who wasn’t? — you may remember Burlap to Cashmere as the guys who sounded like Jars of Clay, if Jars of Clay had just seen a kickass Gipsy Kings show. Flamenco and Greek flourishes and “lai lai lai” vocals made the Burlaps jump out of CCM’s morass, and they scored four hits and a Dove Award for best rock album. … And then they disappeared for more than a decade.
With the public’s expectations at a feverishly low pitch, the new Burlap to Cashmere could be anything, really. … So, it’s sort of amazing that this album not only sounds like Clinton-era BTC, but it actually sounds better.
Christianity Today, Joel Oliphint:
The new album’s natural production allows acoustic guitars to sound like acoustic guitars — an important detail since the band’s world-music influences remain intact (a good thing).
“Orchestrated Love Song” suffers from some Precious Moments poetry, but the flamenco guitars and uncommon time signatures are captivating, and the melodies in “Santorini,” an ode to Greece, sound like they were snatched right off the country’s shores.
In the American folk category, Burlap’s new sound takes more cues from Simon and Garfunkel than Toad the Wet Sprocket (also a good thing). “Don’t Forget to Write” and “Love Reclaims the Atmosphere” could almost be outtakes from Sounds of Silence.
American Songwriter, Rick Moore:
On Burlap to Cashmere’s new self-titled CD, [Steven] Delopoulos doesn’t talk about Jesus, but is still a wonderful poet. Unlike the band’s first album, this one is more stripped down and acoustic, showing how good Delopoulos’ songs are on their own. Lines like “Oh the dizziness of traffic as her garden starts to wither/She opens up her violin so the darkness can forgive her” from “Love Reclaims the Atmosphere” only need simple guitar accompaniment and a harmony vocal a la Simon and Garfunkel to sound great; when Delopoulos sings “I want to live on a boat/And sail away with my children/Where the ocean hits the sky,” on “Orchestrated Love Song,” to a frantic flamenco guitar and creative percussion, nothing else is necessary.
Canadian Christianity, Shara Lee:
Burlap to Cashmere’s latest work is a melding of folky-Greek sounds paired with many biblical references which no doubt reflect the faith and spiritual journey of band members. You can hear the experience in their sound and from listening closely can get a sense of the setbacks they’ve struggled through and triumphed over.
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