When an album has a story to tell, it can be impossible to ignore. This is especially true when the story comes from deep within the heart of the artist. Stone and Snow have a history of excellence, with accolades such as the best Folk/Soul Artist at the Richmond International Film + Music Festival and the 2012 Winner of the Eagle Creek Folk Festival Songwriter Challenge for the track “Wait,” “Delicate & Wild” lives up to the recognition.
It starts with the instantly captivating “Cruel.” The light acoustic plucks are the perfect lure to grab the listener before the rest of the instrumentals make way for the powerful vocals. The ramblin’, bluesy groove is a perfect match for the powerful vocals of Karen Bridges. The beat is hypnotic and will undoubtedly have you swaying to its serene sounds while the powerful vocals deliver emotional punches full of sorrow and heartbreak. Lines such as “You were never really there for me, but you sure as hell enjoyed my moves. You would never do the same for me. Oh, the mountains I moved for you” are just a few of the powerful lyrics that fuel the awe-inspiring vocal performance. “Cruel” is a track that loves the repeat button, which is a great quality for the starting track.
“Moonrise” follows it up. The melodic plucks of the guitar dance with the bouncy bass as the vocals of the duo emerge harmoniously from the instrumentals and take your breath away. Their voice instantly brings a warm and tender atmosphere to the track, with the percussion emerging as the instrumentals swell. It creates a pulse in the track that’s hard to not move your head to, but such a fanciful gesture may be stifled by the heartstrings pulled by the lyrics. Lines such as “It’s you who brought me to my knees In the hour so late, covered up in clouds. Whether or not you wanted to leave me with an answer. Do you feel like I do” will stop you in your tracks with its emotional weight when it enters your mind. It makes “Moonrise” the perfect rebound from “Cruel” and will leave you smiling.
“Who Am I” seamlessly begins right afterwards. The dreamy guitars create a magical intro, which becomes bold when the vocals hit. When Karen Bridges sings “I need, I need a little rain in my life” it instantly changes the mood, dropping the emotional weight like a glass shattering in a quiet room. The dreamy guitars give the track its lighter-than-air aesthetic, with a bass and percussion that keeps the beat of the song. “Who Am I” enters another dimension, however, when Clint Thomson begins to sing. The guitar solo that introduces him also is the cue that the instrumentals take to kick the track into high gear. It makes “Who Am I” a powerful track that taps into the Americana rock stylings to make the track a stand-out on the album.
“The Hardest Part Of Loving You” feels like the bow on top of “Delicate and Wild.” The bouncy aesthetic is palpable in the track, from the stringy guitars to the deep-reaching bass. It makes the track feel alive and feels like it reaches sky-high with the duo’s vocal performance. The power in the lyrics makes it that much more uplifting, with lines such as “I tossed off the crutch. You can keep your affirmation, your subtle condemnation. I won’t be judged” and the chorus have all the power you’ve come to expect from the duo in this album alone. Leading into the Outro track, which is another beautiful listen, makes this track feel like the culmination of all the emotion building up throughout the album and it delivers.
From start to finish, “Delicate and Wild” is simply incredible. Every track has an undeniable magnetism that’s hard to listen to just once. The beautiful folk compositions are varied and the vocals are as powerful as their lyrical integrity, making each one easy to fall in love with. Each song is written from the heart and is packed with emotional power. For the folk music fan, “Delicate and Wild” is a must-listen and an excellent representation of the genre.
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