So, every once and a while, we find a new band that’s oozing with such potential it becomes difficult to pinpoint which direction we’d like to see them go. Enter Little Ugly, a four piece folk band from Hartford, CT, and their EP, Where The River’s Born. Instead of taking you track by track on this album, which is a free download, but seriously, throw them a few bucks. http://littleugly.bandcamp.com/, I want to point out one song in particular.
The first track on the album is “Named After Saints,” which is clearly a folk song at its core, but is so much more than that. The difficulty with this song is that I don’t know what to pinpoint as the key to its brilliance. The musicality is simple, but works perfectly, from the violin to the simple guitar riff to the percussion, there but not overwhelming. The vocals and harmonies are rich and layered, showing just how much potential these guys have. I think what stands out for me is the lyricism. It’s a brilliant mix of waxing philosophical and being something that every single person can relate to. Here’s the second verse as an example:
As players they were near perfect, never breaking from character
As people they were broken, individual and alone
They set the stage, conceived the cast, and tried to ignore the plot
But the moral of the story seemed to say what they could not.
Give Little Ugly a listen and if you’re lucky enough to live close to Hartford, go see them live. I can only imagine that the live show is something to behold.
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