You can read his entire review here. Thanks for sharing with us, Dave! We'll see you in Northampton!
Dave Abare, who writes over at his blog Rambling Abare, got in touch with us to share his review of The Lone Bellow's show at House of Independents in Asbury Park, NJ, last week. It was his first time seeing the band perform live, and his reaction was just what you would expect. He writes, "The singer/songwriter Marc Cohn has a line in his hit 'Walking in Memphis' where he answers a woman asking if he's a Christian where he replies, 'M'am I am tonight' and that's how you feel experiencing The Lone Bellow in a live setting. They aren't a 'Christian band' nor do the majority of their lyrics talk a lot about God but when you're in their presence, hearing them perform and taking in the majesty of the moment, you're a believer in whatever they are preaching."
You can read his entire review here. Thanks for sharing with us, Dave! We'll see you in Northampton!
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Back in May, after we saw The Lone Bellow perform at MassMOCA, we really struggled to write a recap of the show that sounded fresh. I suppose this is the downside of going to so many of the band's shows - it starts to feel like we are saying the same, gushing things about their music and their performance over and over again! So we were grateful when Matthew Rector of Old School Record Review got in touch with us to share his review of the show. We enjoyed hearing his first-timer perspective, and we are happy to share it with you on our site. Watching the trio, along with bassist Jason Pipkin and drummer Justin Glasco, sweat their way through a ninety-minute set plus an encore, frenetically dancing around stage and pouring so much furrow-browed passion into their vocals, I came away feeling this is simply a group of talented people who are fortunate enough to get a chance to do what they love. You can see the joy on their faces and hear the excitement in their voices. They aren’t taking fame for granted, it’s all still fun and new for them. Paste magazine has included The Lone Bellow's Then Came The Morning on its list of "The 25 Best Albums of 2015 (So Far)." They write, "But the most remarkable thing that this record proves is that when Zach Williams, Kanene Pipkin and Elmquist sing their hearts out together, this band is unstoppable."
We always appreciate reading Chris' reviews of The Lone Bellow shows, as he is at least as big a fan as we are and so adeptly describes what it feels like seeing the band live. His rundown of the two NY shows are no exception. Thanks, Chris, for giving us permission to share this, and thanks to Mara for the great photos. And it was so great to meet y'all at the Soundcheck session. Hope to see you both at a show again soon! The Lone Bellow: Three Sides of Anything But Lonely…. It’s why Lone Bellow fans are some of the easiest and most wonderful to talk to at shows. They’ve experienced that collective emotion and that healing catharsis that’s so startlingly intense… it’s nearly painful. When you talk to them (much like with the band), it’s like talking to family. And in terms of a familial experience, we got two nights of nothing less than the band leaving themselves out there completely. We hope you've got some time to read because the reviews for Then Came the Morning just keep coming! Today The Lone Bellow shared this Wall Street Journal article by Jim Fusilli, in which he calls Then Came the Morning "the year's first great album." We loved reading this review and have been scouring the internet for more. If you're not quite as crazy as us and don't feel the need to read every single thing written about The Lone Bellow, then we're happy to provide you with the highlights. We'd also love to hear your own album review. Feel free to share your thoughts in the comments, on our Facebook page, or on the forum!
Jason Greenspan of Baeble Music, writes: "Then Came the Morning provides respite for weary ears in a musical climate that can seem overwhelmingly negative. The second album from The Lone Bellow sweeps you up in a tumult of powerful positivity, roots rock, and southern charm." Read the entire review here. Beth Kellmurray at Diffuser FM writes: "While every song shows the trio's ability to build momentum, they also show a versatility on 'Then Came the Morning'-- from the delicate, Pipkin-led ballad, 'Call to War,' to the rollicking call-and-response heard on ‘Heaven Don’t Call Me Home.’ The bluesy ‘Cold As It Is,’ however, is perhaps most exemplary of what the Lone Bellow really are: A trio of country powerhouses who can seamlessly blend their vocals into one unstoppable entity." Read the entire review here. The folks at Culture Collide have this to say: "If you were hooked on lead singer Zach Williams' strong and authentic voice before, there's even more this time around. There's also a little more variation, for example, with "Call To War" featuring a female vocalist rather than a male. The album as a whole also blossoms more and explores more facets within the band's overarching sound." The full review is here. Finally, Paul Hollingsworth at Earbuddy writes this: "The lavish harmonies of the trio still soar at all the right places (“Marietta”), break at exactly the right times (“If You Don’t Love Me”), and remain front-and-center on every song. Even when the band abandons its country sound entirely for a more jagged gospel-rock stomper as on “Heaven Don’t Call Me Home”, their voices still seem perfectly suited for the task." Read the review here. ![]() We can listen to Then Came the Morning in its entirety, a week before it's release, thanks to NPR Music's First Listen! Stephen Thompson writes, "The Lone Bellow's songs lean toward the gigantic — at heart, Williams is a belter of the vein-bulging variety — but they're also impeccably played and nicely balanced by softer, subtler touches. Kanene Doheney Pipkin's contributions are crucial, whether she's bringing lilting touches to the sound on mandolin or singing lead in the sweetly languid 'Call To War.'" What do you think? NPR music write Stephen Thompson mentioned Then Came the Morning as a "likely highlight" in the new year. And The Lone Bellow's sleek and soaring Then Came The Morning (out Jan. 27), which makes excellent use of the Van Morrison playbook
The Lone Bellow has been teasing us with snippets for the last couple of weeks, but today, NPR's All Songs Considered has posted the full title track to their upcoming album, Then Came the Morning. In introducing the song, Stephen Thompson write, "The Lone Bellow has lost none of its sleekly soaring charm."
Post by The Lone Bellow.
Also, over at Bestnewbands.com, Caitlin Peterkin interviewed Zach Williams about the band's ascendency, musical influences, and the new album.
You’ve kicked off an extensive tour – how do you stay energized and motivated on the road?
What do you think of Then Came the Morning? We'd love to hear from you, so leave a comment here, or let us know in the forum!
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Who We Are
We are Abra and Bobbie, two friends living in Boston who go to a lot of concerts together. We saw The Lone Bellow, having never heard of them, and could not believe our good fortune in discovering such talent. We now try to go by the "Four-Hour-Rule", meaning if we can get to a show within four hours, we will be there, hopefully right up front. Categories
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