Margo Cilker Little White Cross
“You could definitely call it a concept record, if that concept is that I got really sad and went to Texas.” That’s Margo Cilker’s elevator pitch for her latest album, Little White Cross, and if you know me at all, you’ll understand it’s the kind of concept that will draw me right in. The exact source of the sadness that led Cilker to record this particular mix of covers and originals is left unspecified by the singer, but look around – can you really wonder why a sensitive soul might be more than a little bothered by end-stage America? But even on a record full of car wrecks, mass shooters and plain ol’ struggling folks, Cilker and co-producer Bruce Robison have managed to craft one of the most beautiful albums of the year.
Little White Cross’s title song, which leads off the record, is an acoustic-and-piano ballad that pairs indelible memories with the type of reckless late-night drive that not everyone survives. Written and originally recorded by Christy Hays, the song portrays a town with little life left to give – “I’ve been coming back home just so I can leave” – even though problems follow the narrator wherever she goes – “I’m hitting the brakes just in time/I’m thinking about you, you’re on my mind.” An acoustic solo from Geoff Queen and lovely vocals from Sarah Cilker (Margo’s sister) round out this heartrending track. The first original on the record, “Molly and Me,” notches up the grief a level or three. Backed by organ from Emily Gimble and upright bass from Scott Davis, Cilker finds an empathetic space for the family of a mass shooter. Told from the perspective of the suspect’s sister’s best friend, the song delicately balances an outsider’s perspective – “Well, her brother was a loose cannon/Looking for a fight from any direction” – with sorrow for the family while wondering why we won’t help more before tragedy strikes – “And it’s true that we sincerely miss him/It’s just a shame they had to die when he did.”
True to the imagery contained in its title, death comes in many of the songs on Little White Cross, but it’s the quiet moments of humanity that will stick with me. “The Money,” a jangler penned by Kevin Carducci, portrays a brand of off-the-grid living – “There’s a certain kind of freedom comes from living off the land/And in simple satisfaction getting by without a plan” – that tends to strip away a lot of interpersonal barriers. Even album-capper “Wolves,” Stephanie Davis’s story of economic desperation, finds room for a friendly smile when all else seems lost – “I promised that I’d visit when they found a place in town.” But it’s “Maryhill Peaches, Goodnoe Pairs” that truly stands out. Written by Cilker and her husband (and honest-to-god cowboy) Forrest VanTuyl, it’s a multi-generational tale of making life, and the land, work, more often than not. There’s more work than hands to handle it – “It’s one day in the saddle for every ten in the truck/You can count up the miles, just don’t add ‘em up” – but there’s usually a meal, and always a friend – “If you need a neighbor, you know I’ll be there.” Nothing’s easy, on the farm or on Little White Cross, but there are good folks found on both.
Song I Can’t Wait to Hear Live: “Pauline” – I’ll never turn down a Petty cover (on Little White Cross, it’s the criminally underrated “Walls”), but this slow acoustic waltz, featuring sublimely subtle pedal steel from Eric Heywood (Cilker calls him her “secret weapon”) is as beautifully heartbreaking a tune as you’re likely to hear this year.
Little White Cross was produced by Bruce Robison and Margo Cilker, engineered by Steve Mazur and mastered by Dave McNair. Songs written by Margo Cilker, Christy Hays, Sera Cahoone, Tom Petty, Ian Tyson, Kevin Carducci, Forrest VanTuyl and Stephanie Davis. Musicians on the album include Cilker (vocals, acoustic guitar), Geoff Queen (acoustic guitar, electric guitar, pedal steel), Lisa Pankratz (drums), Scott Davis (bass), Emily Gimble (piano, organ), Sarah Cilker (vocals), Eric Heywood (pedal steel, electric guitar, acoustic guitar), Beth Chrisman (fiddle), Forrest VanTuyl (organ), Josh Blue (percussion) and Bruce Robison (vocals).
Go here to order/stream Little White Cross (out October 11):
https://margocilker.bandcamp.com/album/little-white-cross
https://vyd.co/MargoCilkerLittleWhiteCross
Check out tour dates here: https://www.margocilkermusic.com/
Enjoy some of our previous coverage here: REVIEW: Margo Cilker “Valley of Heart’s Delight”