On their 2020 debut album,
Bonny Light Horseman
-- the collaborative project featuring
Anaïs Mitchell
(the singer and songwriter who created the stage musical
Hadestown
),
Eric D. Johnson
(leader of the indie folk group the
Fruit Bats
), and
Josh Kaufman
(producer and multi-instrumentalist whose resumé runs from
the Hold Steady
to
Taylor Swift
) -- joined forces to record a set of classic folk songs, which they adapted to their more contemporary approach. While the performances were skillful and imaginative, they also buffed off a good share of the personality of the tunes, and the album came off as unfortunately bland. The trio began writing original material for their second LP, 2022's
Rolling Golden Holy
, which was a significant improvement, and 2024's
Keep Me on Your Mind/See You Free
is another step in the right direction.
Mitchell
,
Johnson
, and
Kaufman
's sweet spot is clearly in contemporary folk with a soulful feel and a pop sensibility, and this music plays to that with panache.
and
are expressive and evocative vocalists who mine the traditions of classic singer/songwriter material for inspiration while adding a veneer of 21st century adult alternative sheen, while
helped craft arrangements that meld an acoustic sensibility with a tonal palette that finds room for electric keyboards, brass, and woodwinds. These songs fit the bandmembers' talents like a glove, both in their melodies and the emotional tenor of the lyrics, and the performances and production (partly recorded live at a pub in Ireland, the rest cut in a Los Angeles studio) are just organic enough to mimic the feel of a real-time performance, even as the final product sounds thoroughly professional and expertly crafted.
is state-of-the-art contemporary pop-folk, and with each LP
deliver stronger work; deciding to put their songwriting chops to work may be the smartest thing they've done to date. ~ Mark Deming