I've had Shovels & Rope's new release Little Seeds in my possession for a while but have lacked the time to be able to properly articulate my thoughts on it until now.For those unfamiliar, the duo are comprised of husband and wife, Michael Trent and Cary Ann Hearst from Charleston, South Carolina. They already have a few albums to their name, both as a duo and as artists in their own right, but this is the first LP I've listened of them in full. It wouldn't be the last.
Little Seeds is an album rich with lyrical quality and emotional depth. Powerful is perhaps the best way to describe this collection of tracks as it kicks off with the thumping, grungy 'I Know' and 'Botched Execution' - the latter of the two has such incredible imagery that I couldn't help but immediately replay it a few times to fully soak it all in.
Yet, it also packs a heavy emotional punch. This album is easy to listen to, yes, but at the same time is hard to listen to. At times, you'll be brought crashing back to reality. 'Invisible Man' is about the heartbreaking effects of Alzheimer’s from the point of view of a sufferer who, as a result of the horrific disease, is lost in themselves. Another haunting track is 'BWYR', a minimalist in style, cry to stop the many number of hate fueled killings that keep happening - it's a stunning number with a message that really needs to be heard, perhaps more now than ever before.
'BWYR', a track about how precious life is, leads nicely into the beautiful 'Eric's Birthday', a song that celebrates the birth of a child before concluding with 'This Ride' which reflects on the other end of the spectrum - death. This album is a wonderful tapestry of emotion, so well crafted and so well put together.
I went into this album as a casual listener of the duo and left as a fan. Little Seeds is, quite simply, a masterclass in storytelling.
Little Seeds is out now. For more information on the band, including information on their upcoming UK dates, visit shovelsandrope.com.
