Search - Cadillac Sky :: Letters in the Deep

Up from the Deep and Jumping the Shark

Pirate Fan | Santa Clarita, CA USA | 06/09/2010

(3 out of 5 stars)

"It is fascinating to see the pattern repeated. Strange how artists who start to realize that they have something special seem driven to be "different" and "creative". Sad how often the result is a hodgepodge that is far less than the simpler earlier works that were sweated out before self-awareness crept into the picture.



"Letters in the Deep" should be a brilliant new work by Cadillac Sky.



Instead it is a senseless mishmash of half portions of Brian Wilson, art school and sophomoric college band.



I hate to be so critical of a new work. But dang.



Although there is so much effort to be new, the feeling is more that of a hackneyed, naive effort to be creative that would have been amazing IF it had be released in 1973. That was a long time ago. Alan Parsons, Pink Floyd, Yes, The Beatles, Brian Wilson all trotted down this path on the way to musical innovation almost 40 years ago.



While I suppose it is cool that there is someone (once again) trying to break out of what might be perceived as the trap of "commercialism", I am reminded of the countless "lonely guy locked in a room teetering on the brink of his dark mortality" grainy black and white student films we were forced to sit through in college.



The previous two Cadillac Sky albums were far more new and fresh because they started with feet solidly planted on 70 years of musical excellence. Unfortunately, this time, the push for razzle-dazzle blew away the music - and resulted in songs that create a feeling of a bad open-mic night at the coffee house.



In contrast, the truly "Progressive Bluegrass" creation of this year is "Things that Fly" by the Infamous Stringdusters. That work is a great contrast with "Letters In The Deep" because it both honors bluegrass and rejuvenates with subtle innovations that are simply beautiful without trying to scream out "LOOK, WE'RE DIFFERENT ! ! !"



I can't wait for there to be additional feedback on this recording. I have been an outspoken fan of Cadillac Sky and I would love to be convinced my take is completely off base."

What happened?

Catfish Z | Atlanta | 06/17/2010

(1 out of 5 stars)

"Being a big fan of the first 2 CDs ("Blind Man Walking" and "Gravity's Our Enemy") I was really looking forward to this CD but I'm disappointed. First off, the production seems way off. Dan Auerbach may work fine for the Black Keys but I think he is illsuited to producing Cadillac Sky. The liner notes says that the songs "were recorded live in the studio with minimal overdubs to obtain the sound and feel of old time bluegrass music" but it sounds like it was recorded in my basement. There's nothing wrong with using the studio to your advanatage to produce the best sound; and I'm all for overdubs if it enhances the outcome. And the recording technique is about the only thing on this CD that gives you a feel of "old time bluegrass music." I love progressive bluegrass but there is so much dissonance here that I actually cringe at times. I'm not sure if they were going for a "Punch Brothers" feel or not but please, leave that for those guys and do what you do. (There is some kind of instrumental sound at the end of "Trapped Under the Ice" that sounds like a tortured kazoo player . . . really? did someone actually think that sounded good?) And please lose the background unison vocals and the lower register harmonies; it's just doesn't sound good. The vocals in general just do not sound rich like on the previous CDs.



There are some well wrtiten songs on this CD and good playing (Matt Menefee, in particular, is very precise, tasteful and innovative on the banjo). Maybe it was just the push to do something different or really shake things up on the 3rd CD, and I haven't given up hope on these guys, but this CD just misses the mark. I kept playing it over and over in hopes that it would grow on me but unfortunately it just confirmed my disappointment. C'mon guys, get it together; don't throw tradition completely out of the window. Lose Dan Auerbach and Get those "Letters in the Deep" back up to solid ground and elevate the next CD to the excellent level that you have proven in the past.







"

Sorry, but I'm slightly let down.

C. Daniels | Knoxville, TN | 06/17/2010

(3 out of 5 stars)

"I have to say that I have been a true fan of Cadillac Sky since day one, however maybe I was expecting too much here. Sure, there are some great songs on this album. I am particularly fond of David Mayfield's vocals on Human Cannonball, Ballad of Restored Confidence, Pitiful Waltz, and Tired Old Phrases. Hangman is probably the best song on the album and an instant hit, but other that I've been let down by the new album. I'm not one to say that they should keep rehashing their first big hit over and over again. I understand that bands grow and evolve. I was a true fan of Gravity's Our Enemy and I loved Weary Angel, but on the new album I feel that it doesn't fit, and I'm not one to normally criticize original music. I'm not a die-hard bluegrass fan, and I listen to everything from pop country to metal, as well as traditional bluegrass. They are a very talented group and put on an awesome live performance, but this new album simply misses the mark. It's not horrible music, but some of the songs are way out in left field. The album feels inconsistent."