The Resonant Rogues
On their fourth album, Western North Carolina-based outfit The Resonant Rogues have finally decided to self-title a project. It’s a bold move — rather like staking a claim on a sound that is both new for them and distinctly their own. From the opening notes of lead track “Sun in Winter,” the eponymous record finesses the line between country and soul. The keening of the fiddle and the sway of the pedal steel are classic sounds; the vocals — sung by Sparrow who fronts the band with her partner Keith Josiah Smith — are poetic and wistful, yet unfussy. “I miss you like the sun in winter / laying in the yard / in the snow / trying to catch that glow / before it goes,” she sings. It’s a moment encapsulated; something as lovely as it is fleeting.
Sparrow and Keith share a passion for movement and sound. Both traveled extensively throughout the U.S. — Keith by hopping freight trains, Sparrow with a circus troupe. When the two met by chance in Asheville 10 years ago, they combined their talents and The Resonant Rogues were born. While the band has explored musical styles from across genres and around the globe, current influences for Resonant Rogues, and especially this album, are classic country, Appalachian old-time, and vintage soul.
For all the far-flung touchstones and travels shared by The Resonant Rogues, their namesake album speaks to laying down roots. “Finding peace in a small town / is like watching a doe at sundown,” Keith sings on “Slow Burn.” The song nods to country poets like Guy Clark and Townes Van Zandt. This is a personal musing, its cozy folk flickering with Sparrow’s jaunty accordion. It’s worth noting that Keith and Sparrow recently settled on a piece of land in the Western North Carolina mountains — acreage Sparrow says she hopes never to leave.
Tour still calls The Resonant Rogues to the road regularly, as did a two-week stint in Nashville to record The Resonant Rogues at the Bomb Shelter with producer Andrija Tokic. Many of Sparrow’s favorite albums came from that studio (including work by The Deslondes and Hurray for the Riff Raff), and with Tokic, The Resonant Rogues were able to discover the sonic thread that pulled their album together. Less all over the map than previous projects, there’s a distinct sense of place within string band music, and within a modern interpretation of the classic styles that inspire Sparrow and Keith. It’s still as folky as ever, but with a confident embrace of rock ’n’ roll energy.
“93,500 Miles” features Cajun-inspired accordion, fiery fiddle, and guest vocals by Sierra Ferrell, and reminds listeners of the Rogues’ love of a good dance song. With its haunting harmonica and driving percussion, “Leave the Path” could be the soundtrack to a Spaghetti Western set in the Appalachian mountains. “Show Me” is a sultry love song with serious doo-wop feel, showcasing Sparrow’s range and soulful timbre. The bittersweet “What Happened to That Feeling” may just be the most relatable long-term-relationship song ever written. The 12 tracks are a comprehensive collection of stories, journeys, memories, and landscapes.
The Resonant Rogues was recorded analog, direct to tape, giving it warmth and a live-in-the-room sound. That immediacy feels right for musicians who cut their teeth as buskers, playing street corners across the U.S. and Europe. Special guests on the recording include The Resonant Rogues’ long-time friends and collaborators, such as Sierra Ferrell and Benjamin Tod (background vocals); John James Tourville (pedal and lap steel, 12 string guitar, butter knives, guzheng); Jason Dea West (harmonica); Kristen Harris (fiddle); and Landon George (upright bass, drums, baritone guitar).
This album is a homecoming for a band that’s put in its 10,000 hours. The Resonant Rogues is rendered in big, bold strokes — but it’s also every bit honed and precise as an X on a map.