A Pulitzer-nominated poet by craft, Cornelius Eady has penned eight books on poetry, and lives in New York City. A co-founder of Cave Canem, he delves into all things art with passion — and on his latest album, “Painting” with the trio; joined by Charlie Rauh and Lisa Liu, he explores his artistic side further, providing us with a glimpse into his musical style and expression — keep reading for my thoughts!
A follow-up to their EP, “Withstand”, the eight-piece album is gentle and easygoing in its demeanour, with a lot of influences spanning country to ragtime music — and the opener to the album, “Come And Take Your Boy”, is a delightfully simple number with Eady’s voice to keep the listener company atop the soft, gentle guitars that waft the listener into a world another. The progression of the song is relaxed, laid back, and the lyrics are simplistic, charming, and delivered with a certain grace. This track sets the stage for the rest of the album quite nicely, shaping up “Painting” to be quite the entertaining listen, quite early on.
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Segueing into the second track, “Rich Man And The Reaper” continues upon the soft themes of the album, as Eady crafts beautiful melodies to accompany his gifted writing and storytelling abilities. The pianos and mellotrons find their home here, with graceful, sweeping melodies that do not fail to impress with their delicate, intricate playing; all while the guitar gently picks the pulse of this song.
As “Painting” progresses, we see color after color being splashed on the canvas as we go from happy metaphors to introspective ones, all throughout penned with the wizardry of Cornelius Eady; and there’s much to appreciate here as the gentle nature of the album resonates quite deeply throughout. Examples like “The Unworried Life” and “Military School” are deep and vivid in their storytelling, with the gentle guitars remaining ever so slightly present.
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As we start to bring “Painting” to a close with tracks like “Manhattan Is The Land of Misfit Toys”, we start to see the Americana blend into blues and jazz, swinging as gentle as the breeze in the night, yet as charming as the stars. We have “Painting Song” to call it a day with this album, and the result is a collection of stories that remain with the listener long after the track has come to a close.
With such simplistic production, it’s a feat that this album is beautifully mixed and mastered in-house; and while at it, “Painting” hits high scores in mix clarity, energy balance, and progressions. Eady’s voice does not shy away from emotion, and this album provides the perfect foundation for the voice to shine through in all its glory. Add this to excellently consistent melodic messaging throughout the album, and you have a win.
All in all, “Painting”, by the Cornelius Eady Trio, explores a soft-natured, soulful sound that sticks in your head — and joy is the consequence, for the listener is left humming the lines and the melodies; far outliving the runtime of this album. Take a listen to the album here!
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