Charlie Parr – Little Sun
Little Sun is the eighteenth album from prolific Minnesota based singer-songwriter and guitarist, Charlie Parr. The album is available March 22nd on Smithsonian Folkways. It is notable that this was Parr’s first album to not be recorded entirely live. Little Sun was produced by close friend and collaborator, Tucker Martine (Sufjan Stevens, The Decemberists, My Morning Jacket) in Portland, Oregon during the worst snowstorm the city had seen in decades.
Along with Parr’s trademark resonator, slide guitar and harmonica, the album features highly acclaimed guitarist Marisa Anderson, as well as background vocals from Anna Tivel with Andrew Borger (drums, percussion), Asher Fulero (piano, Hammond, keys) and Victor Krummenacher (electric bass, upright bass, bass VI).
A gentle loose drum, rolls into view before Parr and company launch into his latest album. These are Stories for the everyday man, adrift in an American landscape. Parr picks out the familiar sounds of life on a small town street. At times, Portland Avenue has a Grateful Dead communal feel, searching for a missing person or possibly the idea of a changing world out of our control.
Title track Little Sun follows, full of honey drippin’ country blues, spotlighting Asher Lulero’s piano virtuosity and Parr’s harmonica playing. He laments,“music plays everywhere, was it better when we were young”?
With shaman like poetry and cosmic country tones, Bear Head Lake meanders at a mesmerizing pace. Parr offers the listener a reprieve to reflect on the natural world, away from our tangled societal relationships. It’s beautifully recorded and Parr’s vocal performance shines a light, guiding listeners safely across the water. Soon enough, the band catapults into Boombox, a celebratory mantra for our individual rhythm we may or may not possess. “…and you can dance, even if you don’t move.” The dueling slide guitar and old time piano go at it with reckless abandon and stellar musicianship.
Pale Fire is a quiet moment when nature wrecks you with its beauty. It’s absolutely stunning and effortless by Parr’s and Tivel’s intentional singing “…and the sun is gone, the fire burned on, fire burned on.” Definitely my favorite moment on the record. Once again, Parr is able to communicate everyday occurrences with a less is more approach and reflect on the wonderment of our natural world.
Another standout track on the record arrives near the end. Stray,illustrates how observant Parr is with his prose for the unseen and disadvantaged, “mend the broken hearts, take on their heavy loads.” A true tender folk ballad and carries the same amount of weight as a Van Zandt classic.
Little Sun is a masterful record with stunning production and musicianship of the highest quality. The prestigious Smithsonian Folkways label continues to release classic albums and Charlie Parr fits right alongside American greats like Elizabeth Cotten and Woody Guthrie.
Tour Dates: http://www.charlieparr.com/tour-dates
Smithsonian Folkways https://folkways.si.edu/
Enjoy our previous coverage here: REVIEW: Charlie Parr “Last of the Better Days Ahead”
