Rush, rush, rush. Get to the point. Text. Emoticon.
Nowadays, it seems everyone is in such a hurry to communicate. Words are abbreviated. The time to stop and smell the roses is best spent sending a image of a rose in a Tweet.
Where does a singer-songwriter like Cole Washburn fit into this fast-paced and party-fueld modern country world? It seems as though he’s the tea kettle on the hot stove; his words take a few minutes to percolate. His voice wakes up after a few sips.
In the six track EP Traveler’s Moon, Washburn’s sojourn cultivates numerous references to the sea/oceans, working through memories and simple beauty. His guitar orchestrations in many of the tracks is subtle and strangely similar. However, there are a few tracks that stand out.
“The Widow” is one of the better songs. I felt like this song had a eery state, the beginning harmonies deflected from the previous tracks’ routine acoustic guitar opening. That contrast made the singing almost come across as a woodsy chant. Washburn’s voice is folksy, rich with character and charming bravado. Yet, in this song, his vocals sounded almost melancholy.
The title track is a superb piece. The lyrics tumbled along like the worn-out souls of cowboy boots. You felt like you were a part of the story, that your life followed the glowing orb in the sky.
“Ol Will Brown” is nothing like the other tracks – and showcases a completely different side to Washburn. It’s a fun ditty. Think Dixie and rag-tag and a little bit of New Orleans.
Overall, I give high marks to Washburn’s EP Traveler’s Moon. Surprisingly, I though his award-winning “Anastasia” was my least favorite. I felt like it didn’t show case his range quite as much as “The Widow.” Still all the songs leading up to the last three tracks took a bit of ‘percolating’ before I really sighed with content. That’s the long version anyway. Grade A.
