Quietly Blowing It

Description

Merge Records presents Quietly Blowing It, the new album from North Carolina folk band Hiss Golden Messenger. This is not an album about the current pandemic, but rather a retrospective of the last five years of bandleader M.C. Taylor's life, painted with impressionistic hues. Having spent the vast majority of the last ten years on the road, consistent writing wasn't always easy, so he took advantage of the time afforded by the health crisis to sequester himself in his home studio. Taking the time to reflect on his emotions, he offers us the band's most profound album yet. After writing and recording over two dozen songs by himself, he reunited with the band in July 2020 to record all of Quietly Blowing It at Overdub Lane studio in Durham, North Carolina. Taylor takes the listener on a musical journey that continually revisits themes of growth, loss, obligation, and work with piercing clarity. His musical influences, which include southern soul, gospel, alternative country, and spiritual jazz, have never been more authentic. From the Allman-esque "The Great Mystifier" to the soulful falsetto of "It Will If We Let It," to the bittersweet guitar of Nashville legend Buddy Miller on the album's title track, Quietly Blowing It is a distillation of Hiss Golden Messenger's groove. The album concludes with the single "Sanctuary," which attempts to reconcile joy and tragedy with references to John Prine, economic disparities, and the redemptive qualities of hope.