The Lone Bellow albums

2015

THEN CAME THE MORNING – 88%

            A great blast of gospel infused folk rock, that reminds one of a more upbeat Cowboy Junkies. The Lone Bellow (that’s ‘bellow’ like a yell, not ‘below’ like I mispronounced it for years) is an apt name for this group, who always sing and perform like their entire life is on the line. The group that is equal parts male /female know when to rock out (“Cold as It Is”, “Heaven Don’t Call Me Home”) and when to use dynamics in the favor of the song with great highs and lows (the masterful ballad “Fake Roses” and the classic rock influenced “If You Don’t Love Me”) not to mention well made anthems like “Take My Love”, one of many songs that im not sure why was not a big hit on the radio.

             They also know when to play for the emotional impact: “Marietta” builds and builds into an emotional climax that could last for days, title track “Then Came the Morning” setting the standard for music to grab the listener by the heart and grip on tightly. Ballads are the one area when the band kind of blends into the Americana crowd, but some still stick out like “Call to War”, a beautiful song with a great melody sung by Kanene Pipkin.  I had the pleasure of seeing the group live at the Pilgrimage music festival in 2016, and it was pretty amazing to watch the crowd respond to the music, it was very hypnotic effect. It’s old fashioned music for sure, rooted in country, gospel, and folk but it is done with great heart and consistency rarely found. Sometimes it is not fashionable to like band’s like this, but honestly its what keeps tradition alive and that is equally as important as innovation.

Best Songs: Fake Roses, Call to War, Cold as it Is, Marietta