Freak Scene #9: Cloudbelly Transcend Folk on 'i know i know i know'
A Guide to Music in Western Mass. (and sometimes Connecticut)
This week in Freak Scene, Cloudbelly's latest is a serious contender for this year's best-albums lists, Kalliope Jones are only getting better on their new EP, and musicians from the Valley are raising money for the Palestine Children's Relief Fund.
Cloudbelly are often described as a folk band, as if that one adjective could possibly contain the tangle of hope, heartbreak and subtle wit in Corey Laitman’s lyrics and the expressive musical arrangements that surround them. It’s true that some of the band’s songs have a quieter folky feel, but that’s just one part of what’s happening on i know i know i know, the Montague group’s second album. It’s not a concept album, but these 11 tracks feel less like a collection of individual songs than the unfolding of a rich emotional arc.
Like any palette drawn from human experience, the vibe here can be complicated and sometimes messy. It’s also frequently glorious as Cloudbelly shift through moods and sounds. Ebullient guitars tumble over each other as they take flight on “Fascinated.” Elsewhere, the somber, minor-key acoustic guitar picking on “Garbage” and Laitman’s murmured vocals draw you in closer, before a swell of synthesizers seeps in like rising water midway through the song.
Laitman has a strong, clear voice, and they are as comfortable projecting toward the back wall as singing in conversational tones, as on “If You Want,” or lifting into a fluttering falsetto on “Secret Skin.” Album collaborators Nate Mondschein, Sam Perry and Reed Sutherland lend the latter song an unfussy sense of flow with muted tattoos on a snare drum and a mix of effects-treated guitars, keyboards and samples. Laitman’s lyrics can be vivid and direct, or elliptical and evocative, but they’re always so sharply crafted that all you can do is marvel at the poetry of them. “I have loved being in love / With a daydream / My silver-tonsil-ed, seven-layer smokescreen / Do you catch my meaning, darling?” Laitman sings on album closer “Zero G,” backed by an unhurried beat and a swaying blend of guitars and synths. Maybe it’s a goodbye song to someone they loved, or maybe Laitman is singing to a version of themselves. Either way, the track is like the finishing touch on a gift that Cloudbelly has made for us to unwrap in what feels like an act of unstinting generosity.
Cloudbelly perform April 6-7 at the Parlor Room in Northampton, with Ciarra Fragale (the group's new bassist) opening. Ticket information is available here.
Kalliope Jones Love This Mess on New EP
It's wild to think that three people in their early 20s have been playing together in a band for almost 12 years already, but the numbers check out: Alouette Batteau, Wes Chalfant and Isabella DeHerdt started Kalliope Jones in 2012 at the Institute for the Music Arts in Goshen. They've been releasing music for nearly as long, evolving in style and sound as they've grown up, from early folk-pop singles through a more expansive approach on their self-titled 2017 LP all the way up through their latest, the three-song EP 10:37 in Heaven.
While three songs is a fairly limited sample, 10:37 in Heaven is Kalliope Jones' most accomplished work so far. Opener "Playing the Field," a fiery love-hate jam, puts growling guitars up front, and sweetens them with rising spirals of melody and rich harmony vocals. With trebly guitar licks and a deep-pocket bassline, "I Love This Mess!" nods at funk, but with a raucous rock edge. The trio slows down on the last song, "Holy," a vocal showcase featuring intertwining backing vocals over a crystalline lead melody as the song builds from a quiet opening into a cathartic crescendo full of chugging guitar and thudding drums. With just three tracks, 10:37 in Heaven feels like a stepping stone, but it's clear that Kalliope Jones are well on their way.
Marigold Theater Hosts Gaza Benefit
Western Mass. musicians are coming together Sunday, April 7, at the Marigold Theater in Easthampton for Valley Stand with Gaza II, a fundraiser to benefit the Palestine Children's Relief Fund. The lineup includes Grayson Ty, Asher Putnam of Bella's Bartok, Padded Waltz, Red Loves Blue, Medicinal Purpose, Fiesta Rumbera, Mavrodaphne, Catalyst, Brian O'Connell, Michael Moushabeck, Mare Berger and Tobey Sol LaRoche. The event starts at 6 p.m.; the suggested donation is $10-$30.
Arcadia Folk Festival Returns in August
No lineup has been announced yet, but early-bird tickets are on sale now for the sixth Arcadia Folk Festival, scheduled for Aug. 23-24. The main festival happens Saturday, Aug. 24, at Mass Audubon's Arcadia Wildlife Sanctuary in Easthampton. Tickets for Saturday are available here. For the first time this year, there will also be an Arcadia-branded performance Friday evening, Aug. 23, at the Academy of Music in Northampton. Tickets for that show will be separate from the main festival, and will go on sale at a later date.
Next week: We'll dig into Birdfeeder, a collaboration between Mark Mulcahy (we just can't quit that guy) and Chris Harford that began taking shape 30 years ago. I'm still wrapping my head around the new album from Sunburned Hand of the Man, but that'll be coming up soon, too.
To submit your music for coverage consideration, send a note to erdanton at gmail or reply to this email. Check out these guidelines first. You can find previous issues of Freak Scene in the archive. (Freak Scene is free, but donations are gratefully accepted.)