CD Review: Surrender Hill – A Whole Lot Of Freedom
by Ritchie Ritchison for Country Music News International
- A Whole Lot of Freedom
- Turn this Train Around
- Winter’s End
- Carry On
- Broken Down Car
- Chase Me Down
- Beautiful Wren
- Lucky Star
- Spend on Love
- Healing Song
- Will You Pass Me By
- Wanderer
- Winter in America
- I’m Gonna Get it Right
- Waiting On a Dream
- Badge of a Punk Rock Band
- Live for Today
- The Ballad fo Rebel Wingfield
Surrender Hill calls themselves an Americana Duo. I have never been clear on the whole Americana title but if throwing Guy Clark, New Riders of the Purple Sage, Matchbox 20, John Hiatt, Emmylou Harris, Kathy Mattea, John Prine and Jack Ingram into a blender and mixing it up really good, then yes Surrender Hill would qualify as Americana.
The songs on this set benefit from the rustic dusty backroads flavor of the vocals of Robin Dean and Afton Seekins Salmon sounding familiar yet fresh and vibrant.
The writing is strong and the characters colorful. The music is understated and laid back allowing the words to drive the stories. The opening track which is the punchiest of all the tracks in this set gives you a burst of freedom from the very first notes. Setting you free to travel with them as they journey through a broken yet beautiful world.
Beautiful Wren is one of the best tracks on the disc and gets deeper with repeated listens. Winter in America is another standout track as is Live for Today. The Unusual “Badge of a Punk Rock Band” is also a standout track singing the praises of youthful exuberance and glory days as a guitar picker in a punk rock band.
Surrender Hill is touted as a great live act and a duo that is clearly the rise. I look forward to hearing more from Surrender Hill
Rating: 5 out of 5 Stars