WHAT IS ECO?
ECO helps promote musicians from the Atlantic Provinces while helping the writers who listen to their music. More info please!

This site was designed using Firefox- so chances are, it looks best in that browser.

GO READ SOMETHING, FOOL
Intervenus Interviews
Music = Life
Reviews
Geekery
Books/Film/OSTs

Venues
Music Stores
Close Encounters

EDITOR'S NOTE

All articles on East Coast Overture are ©opyright East Coast Overture and are owned by the site and the original author unless stated otherwise. All photography on ECO is owned by the original photographer. ECO is not responsible for the contents of any off-site pages or any other sites linked from ECO. Linking to the site or any of its pages is permitted and encouraged. This website does not permit direct linking of images, as that is bandwidth theft. East Coast Overture is not affiliated with any artist, recording label, management company, etc. ECO is an independently-produced project, headed by Jillianne Hamilton.

website-hit-counters.com

Acres and Acres - All Nations
By Chris Dowbiggin
(12/12/09)

This is the kind of album that when heard, the listener feels the same effect as opening up a collection of short stories. Each song features colourful dialogue deep within the lyrics, balancing between fiction and non-fiction.

When presented with this kind of songwriting, one cannot think that Acres and Acres could not represent any other genre than the hippie-ist of east coast folk. With the album cover and artwork depicting the internal architechture of the All Nations Church in Halifax, it does not take the listener long to figure out that by each song echoing from from one to another for the whole album that most of the album was recorded in the church simply for the overwhelming echoing acoustics effect very characteristic of folk music- this constantly reminded me of listening to Fleet Foxes.

The main reoccuring theme between the tracks is how each song has a pattern of dictating stories of folklore ("Appleseed," "Joker," "All He Needs," to name a few) to expressing fairly left-wing views of modern aspects of life, mostly in a negative sense. For example, “Money” negatively portrays idea of large corporate spending and earnings compared to profits made from more natural resources, such as agriculture.

One song that sticks out for it’s relevance to both sides of this pattern is “Polar Bear Song.” The lyrics in this track begin with the point of view from someone deeply concerned for the future of the earth’s environmental well-being, to the point of view of a polar bear in distress in times of global warming. The song ends by returning back to the point of view of the future-concerned citizen.

Maybe the purpose of this song is to tug at the heartstrings of the listener, but it is a perfect example of balancing reality and storytelling. Other songs dealing with everyday life issues are "Don’t Come a Knockin’” (invasion of religious beliefs) and “Cell Phone Song” (speaking out to a technology addict).

With all this being said, All Nations is really an album to be patient with, each song has an equal flow from one to another at a fairly slow pace and a peaceful melody. Essentially music to fall asleep to, setting the stage for some colourful dreaming. The record is one for those who like to take to to reflect about their own life, and just achieving a sentimental state of mind. But hey, that’s what real folk music is all about, right?

Related links:
+ Acres and Acres (website)
+ Acres and Acres (MySpace)


Go back to Reviews.
Go back to Reading Material.

* * * * *
Chris Dowbiggin always had a passion for music greater than anything imaginable. He's currently attending the Journalism program at Holland College in Charlottetown, PEI.