SoundTrack Web Extra: Utah Green

Earlier today, while attempting to open Utah Green‘s latest album, ForTune,  I accidentally clicked on Alicia Keys’ “Fallin’.” The two artists couldn’t be farther apart — Keys is all power vocals, thick groove and slick production. She’s the Bing Crosby to Green’s Woody Guthrie.

While Green’s album is neither about travel nor politics — at least not overtly — her songs are that paired down, bare-basics folk that recalls field recordings and field worker, dust bowl refugees, train hoppers and, now and then, all of those influences as if filtered through, say, Jolie Holland.

Green’s voice is sturdy and clear. Her singing style recalls Sam Parton of The Be Good Tanyas with a sleepy edge, especially at the low end of her register. But there’s something pleasant about the way it’s just her voice (well, and an acoustic guitar, strummed for the rhythm more than the melody) that carries each song.

Some tracks on ForTune are more successful than others — “Sohum,” which asks question after question like a curious two year-old, “How many people have just got married an how many lovers have just been burried and how many babies have just been born and how many dreams have just been torn and how many people have just started all over again and how many bridges continue to bend…” It goes on and on to the near-maddening two-chord thrum of the guitar.

“Baltic,” on the other hand, breaks the monotony with some higher-register vocals and finger-style guitar. The lyric is more narrative, “Wontcha sing to me a song, a song that whispers like a freight train,” and suggests that Green is a storyteller with a proclivity for interesting imagery.

At under two minutes, “Meigah” might be the album’s most interesting track. It follows a similar repetitive folk / rhythmic strumming formula that Green favors, but the all-too-brief anecdote is of a New Orleans character who “went rollin’ down the road.” Nothing really happens, but there’s a kind of building anticipation that leads to a really spooky one-note horn solo.

“Seven Times Is Too Much” verges on ballad territory, allowing Green to expand her vocals and “Magdaline,” the final track, is the only song without acoustic guitar. Simple, metallic clawhammer banjo provides rustic accompaniment to Green’s most stripped down folk song, a piece that recalls Iris Dement and would be at home on the movie Songcatcher.

Overall, ForTune is a sweet album the deserves close listening. It’s modern folk — the songs are contemporary and are based on Green’s very current world view — but performed the same way songs would have been ages before MP3 and album art.

Utah Green performs at Good Stuff Grocery in Marshall on Saturday, Sept. 4, at Ja Vin in Black Mountain on Saturday, Sept. 11 and at Fred’s Parkside Pub on Saturday, Sept. 18.

 

SHARE

Thanks for reading through to the end…

We share your inclination to get the whole story. For the past 25 years, Xpress has been committed to in-depth, balanced reporting about the greater Asheville area. We want everyone to have access to our stories. That’s a big part of why we've never charged for the paper or put up a paywall.

We’re pretty sure that you know journalism faces big challenges these days. Advertising no longer pays the whole cost. Media outlets around the country are asking their readers to chip in. Xpress needs help, too. We hope you’ll consider signing up to be a member of Xpress. For as little as $5 a month — the cost of a craft beer or kombucha — you can help keep local journalism strong. It only takes a moment.

About Alli Marshall
Alli Marshall has lived in Asheville for more than 20 years and loves live music, visual art, fiction and friendly dogs. She is the winner of the 2016 Thomas Wolfe Fiction Prize and the author of the novel "How to Talk to Rockstars," published by Logosophia Books. Follow me @alli_marshall

Before you comment

The comments section is here to provide a platform for civil dialogue on the issues we face together as a local community. Xpress is committed to offering this platform for all voices, but when the tone of the discussion gets nasty or strays off topic, we believe many people choose not to participate. Xpress editors are determined to moderate comments to ensure a constructive interchange is maintained. All comments judged not to be in keeping with the spirit of civil discourse will be removed and repeat violators will be banned. See here for our terms of service. Thank you for being part of this effort to promote respectful discussion.

2 thoughts on “SoundTrack Web Extra: Utah Green

Leave a Reply

To leave a reply you may Login with your Mountain Xpress account, connect socially or enter your name and e-mail. Your e-mail address will not be published. All fields are required.