March To August – Songs Inspired By Witness
This music is set up like the retro folky styles of the 40s and 50s, with a rich storytelling drive. The entire album is based on the Karen Hesse novel “Witness,” which inspired these songs. It’s an involved story, but it touches upon a small-town during prohibition, racism, injustice, and evil. It details how several colorful characters, through their backstories, confront the challenges of their community.
There are 13 expressive mountain exuberant songs that make Songs Inspired By Witness (Drops Nov. 1/Independent/32:43). The melodies sound like traditional compositions, but they’re all written by Derrick Mears (acoustic guitar/vocals) who makes up the duo of March To August.
Joining Derrick is Jodi Mears (bass/vocals) & Aviva Tu (violin). So, the performances are spare with little to embellish the songs short of the fine songwriting & emotional phrasing in each song. What’s interesting is that the evil in these tales is what may have been an unlikely character — a clergyman in Johnny Reeves. Primarily the music is squeezed through some adept banjo picking. At times, they sound almost like the ’60s folk group The Rooftop Singers (“Walk Right In”) which was an outlet for the legendary late Erik Darling (who replaced Pete Seeger in The Weavers).
The songs overall are well written & sung folky but sophisticatedly. Nothing is campy or rambunctious. The most accessible tune is the lovely “Every Girl,” which could be covered easily by any number of great modern-day Americana singers. A real jewel.
While the songs deal with a tart subject the music is mature & melodic & doesn’t need any devices to accentuate the drama. But good folk music never relied on showboating or exquisite playing. The song was what it was all about.
Vocally Derrick’s intonation, tone & range will remind some listeners who have dug deeper into a more progressive rock genre of Dead Can Dance’s Brendan Perry. He sang some of his songs with a little more mainstream-folky edge like “American Dreaming.” This is what makes Derrick’s vocals all the more compelling since he doesn’t sing with slurs, artificiality, or ornamentation.
At the same time, Derrick has a narrative style reminiscent of Ralph Stanley, especially in the intense “The Scribbler-Part III.” This is unvarnished folk music – the way it was meant to be with the tales being a few minutes of emotional drama with fumes emanating from their individual essence.
Voice & single instrument soft in spots & prickly in others. The songs are distilled enough to appeal to even a city boy’s ears. A little more riveting than John Hartford but savoring his creativity every step of the way.
Highlights – “Running Booze,” “Perfect Son,” “Only the River (vocal by Jade Ayers), “Every Girl,” “Hellbound” & “The Scribbler-Part III.”
Color image courtesy of March To August’s website. CD @ https://marchtoaugust.com/about-m2a
Song Premiere – https://americanahighways.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/Songs-Inspired-by-Witness-Cover.jpg
