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A Very Good Year
A series covering the 15 best music releases of 2014
Previous:
10. Neil Young - A Letter Home
9. Bill Mallonee - Winnowing
Key tracks: “Dover Beach,” “Got Some Explainin’ to Do,” “In the New Dark Age,” “Now You Know.”
Bill Mallonee is one of the most undervalued songwriters today. He’s been making quality song-driven albums of Americana, alternative rock, and Byrds-y jangle since the early ‘90s.
Aside from a couple strong CDs he has mostly been independently releasing his music digitally. He tours constantly, playing mostly house shows that intimately engage his grassroots fan base. Winnowing, a collection of meditative, poetic Americana, is a welcome addition to his 50+ album catalog.
The album is rustic, sounding like it comes directly from the heart and soul of New Mexico’s high deserts (where Mallonee now resides). Arrangements, built around flowing guitar signatures and subtle drums, percussion, and keyboards, are sparse but effective. His engaging and cadenced vocals are the best of his career. The warmth of his voice, the sound of the record, and the forlorn quality of each of the songs gives Winnowing a convincing country coherence.
Most tracks are sparse and focus on Mallonee’s poetic lyrics. He’s always been inspired by darkness and melancholy, especially his recent material, but its taken to even more serious depths here.
Every conviction that I lived by
Every truth that I was taught
Every sermon that I sat through
Well, it was all for naught
I was always pretty bad
At carryin’ my cross
Out in the cold
(“Dover Beach”)
Spring of Hope
And Summer of Love
It ain’t never come without a Fall
Some dreams get born
But most get beaten’ out
And some folks forget how to dream at all
(“Dew Drop Inn”)
Sunlight sifted through the shadows
It seemed brighter way back then
And I walked the world in wonder
All dressed up in my new skin
If that world was going somewhere
Well, that’s just something I ignored
And it all flooded through the windshield
Of an old beat up ford
(“From an Old Beat Up Ford”)
Each song on Winnowing is filled with evocative lyrics on top of delicate, flowing melodies. Combined with the rustic arrangements Mallonee creates a truly high and lonesome atmosphere.
Most of the songs are laid back and lyric driven like Mallonee’s most recent material. However he does take a couple memorable detours. “Got Some Explaining to Do,” one of few upbeat moments, is straight up early Vigilantes of Love Americana. It also has a great lyric for the chorus: “No matter what the disguise is/well, ya gotta give the devil his due/but whoever he is/has got some explainin’ to do.”
Melodic “In the New Dark Age,” with its swirling keys, would have fit well on VoL’s power pop classic Summershine. The lyrics are some of Mallonee’s best social commentary:
Could be the new corporate terror
Seducing the government
Could be the war machine
Could be the 1%
Time for banishing darkness
Time for doing what is right
Time for loving the planet
Time for stepping into the light
The most personal lyrics come on album closer “Now You Know.” The song that ties it all together, its haunting poetry and forlorn feel embody Winnowing:
Well, the first thing that you’ll notice
Is the sadness of this place
Deserts speak in whispers
But she rarely shows her face
They say that you get used to it
Ah, but I’ve not found that the case
Now you know
It was somewhere deep in Texas
Amidst a cold December
There was no star of Bethlehem
None that I could remember
Faith was flying at half-mast
And so me? I cut the cord
Now you know
With Winnowing Bill Mallonee has created the rustic, country masterpiece that he’s been building up to since his retreat to New Mexico several years back. His fans are blessed to be aware of such a treasure.
Next: 8. Foo Fighters - Sonic Highways
Erik Ritland is a writer and musician from St. Paul, Minnesota. His blog and podcast Rambling On features commentary on music, sports, culture, and more. He is also a contributor for Minnesota culture blog Curious North. Support Erik's music via his Patreon account, reach him via email, or find him on Facebook and Twitter.
A Very Good Year
A series covering the 15 best music releases of 2014
Previous:
10. Neil Young - A Letter Home
9. Bill Mallonee - Winnowing
Key tracks: “Dover Beach,” “Got Some Explainin’ to Do,” “In the New Dark Age,” “Now You Know.”
Bill Mallonee is one of the most undervalued songwriters today. He’s been making quality song-driven albums of Americana, alternative rock, and Byrds-y jangle since the early ‘90s.
Aside from a couple strong CDs he has mostly been independently releasing his music digitally. He tours constantly, playing mostly house shows that intimately engage his grassroots fan base. Winnowing, a collection of meditative, poetic Americana, is a welcome addition to his 50+ album catalog.
The album is rustic, sounding like it comes directly from the heart and soul of New Mexico’s high deserts (where Mallonee now resides). Arrangements, built around flowing guitar signatures and subtle drums, percussion, and keyboards, are sparse but effective. His engaging and cadenced vocals are the best of his career. The warmth of his voice, the sound of the record, and the forlorn quality of each of the songs gives Winnowing a convincing country coherence.
Most tracks are sparse and focus on Mallonee’s poetic lyrics. He’s always been inspired by darkness and melancholy, especially his recent material, but its taken to even more serious depths here.
Every conviction that I lived by
Every truth that I was taught
Every sermon that I sat through
Well, it was all for naught
I was always pretty bad
At carryin’ my cross
Out in the cold
(“Dover Beach”)
Spring of Hope
And Summer of Love
It ain’t never come without a Fall
Some dreams get born
But most get beaten’ out
And some folks forget how to dream at all
(“Dew Drop Inn”)
Sunlight sifted through the shadows
It seemed brighter way back then
And I walked the world in wonder
All dressed up in my new skin
If that world was going somewhere
Well, that’s just something I ignored
And it all flooded through the windshield
Of an old beat up ford
(“From an Old Beat Up Ford”)
Each song on Winnowing is filled with evocative lyrics on top of delicate, flowing melodies. Combined with the rustic arrangements Mallonee creates a truly high and lonesome atmosphere.
Most of the songs are laid back and lyric driven like Mallonee’s most recent material. However he does take a couple memorable detours. “Got Some Explaining to Do,” one of few upbeat moments, is straight up early Vigilantes of Love Americana. It also has a great lyric for the chorus: “No matter what the disguise is/well, ya gotta give the devil his due/but whoever he is/has got some explainin’ to do.”
Melodic “In the New Dark Age,” with its swirling keys, would have fit well on VoL’s power pop classic Summershine. The lyrics are some of Mallonee’s best social commentary:
Could be the new corporate terror
Seducing the government
Could be the war machine
Could be the 1%
Time for banishing darkness
Time for doing what is right
Time for loving the planet
Time for stepping into the light
The most personal lyrics come on album closer “Now You Know.” The song that ties it all together, its haunting poetry and forlorn feel embody Winnowing:
Well, the first thing that you’ll notice
Is the sadness of this place
Deserts speak in whispers
But she rarely shows her face
They say that you get used to it
Ah, but I’ve not found that the case
Now you know
It was somewhere deep in Texas
Amidst a cold December
There was no star of Bethlehem
None that I could remember
Faith was flying at half-mast
And so me? I cut the cord
Now you know
With Winnowing Bill Mallonee has created the rustic, country masterpiece that he’s been building up to since his retreat to New Mexico several years back. His fans are blessed to be aware of such a treasure.
Next: 8. Foo Fighters - Sonic Highways
Erik Ritland is a writer and musician from St. Paul, Minnesota. His blog and podcast Rambling On features commentary on music, sports, culture, and more. He is also a contributor for Minnesota culture blog Curious North. Support Erik's music via his Patreon account, reach him via email, or find him on Facebook and Twitter.
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