New music, same feelings
5
By KendraKnits
I am a diehard hazelnut so course I’m a little biased about Sister Hazel‘s music, but I will say this is one of the best albums they come out with in recent years. It does have a slightly more country sound, but at the heart of it still has the Sister Hazel sound, and the wonderful Sister Hazel lyrics. Also at the heart of things is the fact that they’re just five small town guys who love to make music, love their families, and are grounded in their home life. “Small Town Living” talks of their love of their homes, and the connection between all people from small towns, and some nostalgia for the community feeling of living in a small town. My favorite song is “Whirlwind Girl”, a classic, fun, singalong song perfect for summer drives, or anytime you can open the windows and just sing at the top of your lungs. Ken Block sounds great, his voice as strong as it was when the band started. Drew Copeland has one song, the lovely “In Two”, which provides yet another lovely ballad that will likely accompany many engagements and weddings. Ryan Newell gets to show his diversity with some banjo playing, Mark Tojanowski and Jett Beres provide the great back beat, Dave Legrande some great keyboard work, and all but Mark provide the awesome harmonies Sister Hazel is known for, and I love. All in all a great little album with a great mixture of song types, a great listen with in my opinion, nary a bad note.
