Product Description A Record, a Hay Barn, and a Trip to the Country Israel Nash Gripka's follow up album to his successful debut release New York Town, is not only a body of real songs that sound, smell, walk, and talk like vintage itself, but it also carries a title that is as descriptive as it is pragmatic. Deprived of metaphor and literary devices, Gripka's new release, Barn Doors and Concrete Floors means exactly what it says. The record was recorded in an old, dusty hay barn in upstate New York (with concrete floors), on a farm estate deeply settled in the Catskill Mountains. Produced by Steve Shelley, drummer for Sonic Youth, the album was intended to be an escape from the steel and grit of New York City and a move towards a country refuge where time, and people, move more slowly. Harkening back to a day when this was more common i.e. Neil Young, The Band, Bob Dylan- the vision was to have a studio that wasn't a studio at all. To capture sounds that no other place could create. To throw away clocks and avoid set hours. To eat around a big table for dinner and sit around a warm fire pit at night. In short the idea was to create an environment where nothing else really mattered except the gathering of friends making music in the simplest of settings. The 11 track record plays like a vinyl relic stored in the belly of your father's basement. You put it on, you flip it, flip it again, and then once more the first time you pry it from the onion sleeve. Barn Doors & Concrete Floors serves to kick with classic Rock N Roll grit, yet it pines with Americana and Roots heart. When artists make records that are unencumbered by regimented schedules, turn off contact from the outside world, and isolate themselves in the arms of the country, you hear it and you hear it loud and clear on Barn Doors & Concrete Floors. Review "..retreating to the Catskills he reflects on the city's temptation and hard-won redemption on a swaggering country rock album that recalls The Rolling Stone's greatest flirations with the South's soul and blues." -- Q ****
T**Y
A Stonkingly Great Record
I have had this for a while now and was sure I loved it, but I wanted to make sure I was going to carry on doing so before writing a review. And the good news is that it gets better as it defines itself on your sub conscious. Israel Nash Gripka has made a work of genius through sheer love.Opener `Fools Gold' kicks off with a scorching harmonica riff, strumming guitars a Hammond and my favourite even a mandolin. It is easily classified as country/alt/rock, but those monikers do not do justice to such a heart felt delivery. `Drown' is one of those songs that makes me remember Steve Earle around the `Copperhead Road' era. It is one of those tales of woe that only comes out of having truly lived. It credits Mr Cuddles for barking too and the first fiddle playing courtesy of Brendon Anthony. Next `Sunset Regret' is one of those ballads opens with the line `Going down like brandy wine, oh Lord I need you now', it just works its way into your heart like this whole album does.Track five is `Four Winds', this seems like a simple song, but that undermines the simple beauty of the melody and the lyrics. He uses imagery to paint a story that will pass you by without concentration -either way it works; and features a pedal steel too. `Louisiana' sounds like one that `Primal Scream' really wanted to have written, and that is a compliment. Keeping the geographical theme going, the next one is `Baltimore'; this takes it down a notch and has one of my favourite lines in; `You see the water that touched my lips, has turned to wine again'.I am hearing the songs as I write this and the hairs on the back of my neck have just risen as I listen to the opening to `Red Dress', it's just a love story, but makes you feel like smiling and to my joy we get fiddle, mandolin, banjo, harmonica and great backing vocals. Penultimate track `Bellwether Ballad' is so pared back that it could seem out of place, but it just works. Slow and beautiful lyrics where he intones `but women and pain they never wait'. It ends with `Antebellum' with a more electric feel, still it is a great end to a rare piece of music excellence.Recorded in a barn in the Catskill mountains, it has the feel of a low key but attuned production, and I can't wait to see these guys live and hear even more from them.
K**S
Living up the expectations
Always there’s an artist within a certain music scene whose arrival is a big promise. Israel Gripka Nash is the one within the Americana music. His singer-songwriting debut was well received. His performances at Americana festivals created a positive expectations. Automatically the question popped up, Could he live up to this with his next record?I think he did, because “Barn Doors and Concrete Floors” is a strong American/Roots-rock album. Israel Gripka Nash decided to go to the countryside at Catskill Mountains in upstate New York and to record the songs in a barn instead of a professional studio. ‘Hmmm, skeptical’ would be the first way of thinking. Then you would expect lots of extra noises and sounds, but that did not happen. On the contrary: Instead he and his band created a strong record with a variety of styles within its genre. It sounds so good that you wish more musicians would record in the same way.Israel Gripka Nash honors artist he admires, but does not copy them. You can hear a touch of Ryan Adams, Neil Young, The Band, etc, but it is still 100% Israel Gripka Nash. The songs are about loss and love, human shortcomings and man struggle in society. Rootsrock is the basis, but it has been influence by some blues, touch of gospel, added with traditional instruments like banjo, fiddle, mandolin and harmonica here and there on the songs. The band uses high-turnover chord structures at medium tempos with strong, fluent and different melodies.“Goodbye Ghost” sounds like the title: haunting in the dark night. He kind of wanes in and out with a rasp more noticeable on this track. The up-tempo “Red Dress” is like an ode to men who go crazy for a beautiful woman in a red dress. Final song “Antebellum” builds up to a climax within the chorus, Israel singing in an outburst. The record is a great collection of different kinds of songs within its genre. A compliment!
S**G
Such a great album. Great songs
Such a great album. Great songs, great playing and excellent vocals. Why only four stars? I take it the artist had good reasons for recording in a barn but the production, in my humble opinion, does nothing for the music. I find it really hard to make out some of the instruments on several tracks. The drums sound awful and trying to pick out a bass line is a task in itself. I would love to hear him singing live. I think there's some lovely organ on Fool's Gold but I'm darned if I can make it out. Lo-fi can be really effective. It's one of the strengths of early Jolie Holland, for example. Here however I feel that the music is swamped - no pun intended - by a really muddy sound which does nothing for intimacy in this instance. I look forward to his next album. As already stated the songwriting is outstanding.
Y**E
This is impressive
I haven't heard his debut and that is something I need to rectify asap.What I hear most of all on this second outing are the melodies of the Jayhawks but without the harmonies.I'd call this country rock at its best. Magnificent songs, great playing without overdoing it.Let's not mention the fact that this was recorded in a barn.It simply is beautiful well crafted music from a future star.
M**W
A GEM OF AN RECORD!
This is a gem of an album. Fantastic song writing and a great band. I caught Israel and his band at the Garage in North London recently and they put on a fantastic show opening with Goodbye Ghost off Barn Doors. Do not hesitate if you like quality American music, the song writing & musician ship are second to none. This is continually in my player since I bought it and is thoroughly recommended!
B**E
ISRAEL NASH.
I loved every song. A great voice.
A**H
An amazing album
I caught half of one track being played on Radio Scotland and was so impressed by it I decided to take a chance on the album. So glad that I did. This is one of the best I own. Every song is of an amazing quality and I've just had it on constant play since. It's not a style of music I'm hugely familiar with, so can't advise to buy it if you like..... but I can say that if you appreciate a well written song and a great musicianship you will not be disappointed.
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