Album Review

The Staves – Dead & Born & Grown

• 20th Nov 2012

The three sisters (Emily, Jessica, and Camilla Staveley-Taylor) that make up The Staves are possessed of a very special gift for melody. The hypnotic new age edged vocals that run through debut full length release ‘Dead And Born And Grown’ are a perfect compliment to the lush, rich production of this collection of tender and gentle folk gems and have a frankly astonishing range and power.

This record follows the release of the band’s acclaimed EPs, Mexico and The Motherlode and sees them spreading their wings towards a more rounded and full bodied sound, as the warm depth of double bass strings penetrates the sparse drum beats and rhythms and a smattering of well placed acoustic guitar adds sparse highlights to the almost Highland-wilderness beauty of this record.

It’s safe to say that this release positively drips with class, talent and seductive charm from the rousing opener of ‘Wisely and Slow’ to the drunken relationship lament of ‘Pay Us No Mind’, with its telling lyrical content; “Drink until your lips are black, you’ve given things you’ll never get back. Oh you silly thing. Cold sheets of linen, doomed from the beginning.”

There’s plenty of musical experimentation and multi-instrumentalism on ‘Dead And Born…’ as the Watford born sisters swap effortlessly between eukelele, guitar, accordion, double bass and of course the saccharine vocal harmonies blended to perfection on every track. Sticking solidly in the vein of classic Americana tinged with elements of the new UK alt-folk movement, the song writing is utterly faultless and title track ‘Dead & Born & Grown’ really hammers home the vocal dexterity of the trio as it stands proudly on the quality of the vocal arrangement and melodies that sit atop the subtle guitar, perforated in places by a delicious and analogue sounding background hiss.

There are new things to love about this record on every listen, with ‘Winter Trees’ especially being a song you can return to again and again in the depths of the dark nights like a comforting blanket that envelops you and draws you deeper into its swelling and rhythmic guitar chords before building to a crescendo that stands starkly against most other material on the album.

If this release is anything to go by, The Staves aren’t going to remain our best kept secret for too much longer. As this incredible and delicate modern folk offering slowly seeps its way deservedly into popular consciousness, we should all be grateful in the digital age that there are artists making music that can still be this touching, beautiful and wondrous. An instant classic.

Venue: Dead & Born & Grown
Support Band: Atlantic