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JFH Indie Review

JFH Indie Music Spotlight Review

The Arcadian Wild
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The Arcadian Wild
Welcome

Street Date: July 21, 2023
Style: Folk / Bluegrass
Buy It: Amazon




The Arcadian Wild isn't coming out of nowhere, but their 2023 album Welcome is certainly my biggest surprise of the year. My previous experience with the progressive folk/bluegrass trio was strictly the cover of their Self-Titled album which I remember seeing and being intrigued by and then completely forgetting about back in 2015. Fast forward to 2021's excellent four-song EP titled Principium, and though I couldn't quite add it to my Top 10 list for that year (a silly self-imposed no-EP rule that's bound to be broken soon), they certainly had my antenna up for more. Then nothing for two years (that I was aware of) before a few pre-release singles caught my attention yet again this calendar year.

Welcome is everything that I have come to love about music over the years: it's warm, vocally enthralling, musically riveting, and lyrically poignant. It is without a doubt the kind of record that keeps unveiling greater depth and nuance to appreciate with repeat listens. Truth be told, I haven't stopped listening to it for over a month as it quickly rises to my second-most streamed album of the year. It's also the type of work I would not have been ready for without the bridge of several important albums preceding it. Namely, Jars of Clay's Who We Are Instead (2003), Various Artists project Glory Revealed (2007), and last year's The Riverside album, Mythos & Petra, among others. Without these building blocks, Welcome would likely have passed me by and I would have been none the wiser missing out on finding pure gold in the process.

So, the question on my mind isn't "Is this a stellar record?" but more so, "Where does Welcome shine the brightest?" To that, I say it's in the totality of the song-craft. This is the total package record that reveals a seasoned group hitting the peak of their powers. "Two Kinds" is ultimately my favorite song, but it's placed late in the tracklisting. More on that in a second, but my goodness what a great tune "Two Kinds" is! Making great use of vocal dynamics and soft and loud playing, it all lands like a velvet hammer due to lyrics in one verse like, "I'm two kinds of people, a divided man/Which one of me will get the upper hand?/I am a menace and a harm to myself/I ought to fix me before anyone else."

That said, "Two Kinds" is built up to by the tracks before it, particularly the first five songs, three of which were released as singles. These were top-notch choices to whet the appetites of listeners old and new. From the harmonic, a capella start to "Lara," to the plucked strains of "Dopamine," with its ebbs and flows to the spacious sounds lead by a mandolin of "Big Sky, MT." Additionally, the buoyant instrumental "Garradh Seileach" (translated as Willow Grove), arrives at just the right time to inject a different energy and reset the palate for a fine finish.

There truly isn't a shortage of things to be captivated with, nor do I hear anything to nitpick. This is the laudable rarity of a listen that requires no notes of constructive criticism. Not to mention, this is all coming without the use of any traditional percussion/drums, without sacrificing any of the pep or dynamics. This quote is from the band about their choice to record mainly live and sans drums, "When we're working on arrangements, we try to treat our band like a drum set: who is the kick, who is the snare, who is the crash, hi-hat, etc. This approach helps each of us find our specific role in any given moment or section of the song, which again leads to a much more intentional and conversational arrangement." I have a confession to make; I didn't even realize or miss the percussion to the point that it wasn't until I read the press release quote, after listening through the record a handful of times, that I even noticed. That's how artfully they've pulled it off.

Welcome is an album depicted perfectly by its cover art. It is a welcoming invitation to feast at a table with longtime friends -- to experience rich food, conversation, and a depth of relationship on earth that echoes the fellowship taking place in the halls of heaven. This set of songs has been such a breath of fresh air to my soul with each return visit. I genuinely hope that those who enjoy the stylings of contemporaries like Taylor Leonhardt, Andrew Peterson, Zach & Maggie, and The Riverside will give it the time it deserves to do its melodious work on you as well.

- Review date: 8/30/23, written by Josh Balogh of Jesusfreakhideout.com



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. Record Label: None
. Album length: 12 tracks: 46 minutes, 25 seconds
. Street Date: July 21, 2023
. Buy It: Amazon

  1. Lara (2:33)
  2. Dopamine (3:34)
  3. Big Sky, MT (4:59)
  4. Shoulders (5:03)
  5. Little Bird (3:31)
  6. Sparrow (3:39)
  7. Corner (4:29)
  8. Gàrradh Seileach (4:00)
  9. Lift My Head (3:55)
  10. Two Kinds (4:08)
  11. Fable Of The Times (3:19)
  12. The End (3:15)

 

 

 

 

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This Friday, June 27, 2025
ALBUMS
7eventh Time Down We Praise You [BEC]
The Browns 25th Anniversary: Better Days Ahead [StowTown]
Franni Cash Wild Child - EP [Capitol CMG]
Matt Crocker interlude [Anotherland]
Jimmy Fortune Songs of an American Dreamer [Gaither]
Roxanne Grace Road Trip - EP [DREAM]
JJ Hairston & Youthful Praise The Live Reunion: Washington, DC [James Town]
Kutless The Seventh Seal - EP [BEC]
Evvie McKinney It Ain't Over - EP (independent)
Rusty Shipp Capsized Empire (independent)
SEU Worship A Forgiving God [Provident]
The Shimmering Carnelians The Doorway (Version 2.0) (independent)
We Are Messengers A Thousand Times - EP [Curb]

SINGLES
Anchor & Braille Rattlesnake - Single [Equal Vision]
ANTHNY imposter syndrome - Single [Provident]
Blanca Right On Time - Single [Curb]
Landry Cantrell & Elenee sunshine & rainbows - Single [DREAM]
Eddie Clark Never Content - Single [Syntax]
Colony House Atomic - Single [Roon]
Megan Danielle Preachin' To The Choir - Single [Provident]
Drea LP & OnBeatMusic Don't Try Me (DTM) - Single [Syntax]
ELI GABLE Glory Bound - Single [Capitol CMG]
Joseph Habedank Running to Me - Single [Daywind]
Lonnie Hunter Flow (Like A River) - Single [Uncle G]
Kashh Kade HELP - Single [Syntax]
KB x KEANU Keanu's Song - Single [Provident]
Tasha Layton Singing In the Dark - Single [BEC]
Tasha Cobbs Leonard The Hand That Keeps Holding - Single [Motown Gospel]
Claire Leslie Thank God I'm Not Alone (from Claire's Phone) - Single [Capitol CMG]
Tim Lovelace Celebration of America Medley (feat. Charlie McCoy) - Single [StowTown]
Lecrae Tell No Lie (feat. Jackie Hill Perry) - Single [Reach]
LO Worship The Perfect Love of Jesus - Single [Integrity]
Patrick Mayberry Thank The Lord - Single [Provident]
Michael Monroe John The Baptist (feat. Chris Renzema) - Single [Provident]
Alexander Pappas A Great Awakening / Un Nuevo Despertar - Single [Integrity]
PEABOD Summer in Seattle - Single [RMG Amplify]
Rave Jesus Walk On The Water Remix (From The Chosen) - Single [Provident]
The Rocky Valentines Nat Song - Single [Velvet Blue]
Tommy Royale, gio. Like Dat - Single [Capitol CMG]
Saints In Exile & Cutright My Dead End (ft. Jeannie Ortega, Luc DiMarzio, Jericko) - Single [Syntax]
Emilie Weiss Take Care (Studio Sessions) - Single [BEC]

DVD
Jimmy Fortune Songs Of An American Dreamer DVD [Gaither]

Next Friday, July 4, 2025
ALBUMS
Chad Cory America [DREAM]
Tenielle Neda The Way Of Love [Wings]

SINGLES
Christian Back Now - Single [DREAM]



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