- Bryon Harris
Washburn and the River - "Blind Light"
Hailing from Boston, MA Washburn and the River is Jake Rosenberg who, along with his friend Jonah, formed the group in 2013. Influences include the sounds of renowned indie-folk artists such as Bon Iver, Department of Eagles, and The Tallest Man on Earth. After honing their craft , Washburn and the River is excited to debut their first full-album on March 15th, 2019. Fear of Fallow Season’s Greetings will offer fans of Indie-Folk an “emotionally introspective road trip” that pays homage to Jake’s old stomping grounds, his youth and the journey into adulthood, and the evolving soul who has overcome some personal demons. Off the album, Washburn and the River have pre-released the single “Blind Light” which will give you a taste of the talent coming in themid-March release.
“Blind Light” opens delicately with gorgeous fingerstyle guitar playing showcasing Jake’s formidable guitar skills. The introduction is immediately engaging with Jake making his way up and down the guitar fretboard creating a wonderful sonic landscape. Beautiful harmonic composition is heard throughout with chord voicings that utilize open string tunings with elements of jazz tonalities. It is truly refreshing to hear the tapestry of harmonic progressions and colors. A nice syncopated groove is established.
Jake enters singing, “Underneath a resting sign, we whittled time to dust. On the photographs that caught our acts riding all the desert dunes with nothing but love in our packs." His voice is natural and inviting; he has a laid back tone that allows the lyrics to shine. The lyrics of “Blind Light” are highly poetic and intelligent reflecting a thoughtful writer who utilizes symbolism for open-ended interpretations.
“Blind Light” is about self-love and preservation. Many themes are explored in the song including mindfulness (staying in the present and not over-thinking), trust (things will work-out if you stay true to who you are) and letting go of the outside world’s harshness and propensity to judge.
Please take a moment to check out the video (performed live in Brussels), produced by Micah Nicol and Michael Ingle:
The chorus is written in true indie-folk fashion favoring a subtle and sophisticated presentation. Jake sings this section very expressively. “To burn the burden from our backs that scorching sun won't turn us on. Blind light come put me on.” The overall arrangement is very organic with guitar at it’s centerpiece. There is also a mellow flute like sound that is heard in the distance. The group achieves a live sound which yields an intimate performance and listening experience.
Washburn and the River steer clear of predictability and in-the-box canned musicianship; this group offers music for the ear and the mind with thoughtful and poetic lyrics filled with symbolic meaning open to the listener’s interpretation spun to unique fingerstyle guitar playing that mesmerizes with interesting textures and colors.
For more information on Washburn and the River or to keep up-to-date on their upcoming release, please visit their website.