Many people write songs about poignant and powerful social issues; in fact, this is becoming more prevalent as the world seems to be turning ever darker. But what sets Vanderwolf apart from the pack with his latest single is that the music is so deftly done that it sets the scene as eloquently as the words that he offers.
“As The Sun” seeks to raise awareness about the complex and often corrupt issue of forced labor in the US prison system, a system that many see as slavery by another name. And as evocative as his words are, it is the music that carries the emotional punch.
He weaves languid dobro-driven blues lines that shimmer with the heat of the day through spiritual gang harmonies. His lead vocals plead, and the space he leaves allows atmospheres and anticipations to percolate and coalesce between the notes and words.
It is a sound that echoes with the weight of history, a reminder that slavery, in any number of ever-changing forms, has been with us since one human realized that he could force his will on another. It is also a sound that reminds us that less is more. Yes, we all know that old cliche, but never was it truer than on “As The Sun” – two intertwined dobros playing the perfect and most minimal music possible, one voice leading the throng and a collective chorus that is half gospel celebration, half chain gang despair…and that’s it.
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