Young Frontier is a soulful folk-rock outfit with a good amount of dramatic tension in their songs. Actually, “soulful folk rock” might not even be the best terminology to describe their music. It’s hard to pigeonhole what this trio and their guest musicians are doing here. Vocalist Joe Young, guitarist Daniel King, and cellist Bethany Weiman are doing their own thing, regardless of the number of roots elements they incorporate here. Besides, how often does a roots combo or folk band utilize a cello?
Opening track “Waste Of My Time” has belty, drawling vocals by Joe Young. His voice infuses the song with soul while backing vocals, a cello swagger, and electric and acoustic guitars fill in the backdrop with a sound that could be described as honky tonk meets country by way of rock ballad. It’s a wide sweeping song that moves forward with the confidence to carry something thorny and weighty.
“Clever” finds guitarist Daniel King pushing this number along with a steady acoustic guitar ripple as well as a electric guitar grind that feels coated in the best roots influences. Harmony vocals abound, making the chorus feel beautifully rich, full, soulful.
“Waltz” is composed of the best elements this trio has to offer. King’s brittle, country drenched guitar lines are tasteful as hell while Joe Young’s vocal, with its unique timbre, lulls the listener deeper into this song with its plaintive, emotive quality.
“Come On Honey” has a bit of old fashioned country in the way Mr. Young croons this tender hearted ballad. King’s chirpy mandolin notes keep this one feeling peppy from beginning to end. Meanwhile, Bethany Weiman’s cello combines melody and rhythm into one line and it becomes the muscle of this old time charmer.
A haunting pedal steel fills the backdrop of “Letters To No One” with a second layer of forlorn emotion. Young’s plaintive timbre and steady vocal is the first layer and an acoustic guitar accompaniment leaves just enough space for his voice to settle into the sorrowful song. It’s a mournfully beautiful song sung by someone with an interesting, world weary view.
King pulls us right into “Don’t Let The Cold In” with his nimble acoustic guitar picking. His seemingly simple notes are filled with feeling as he creates a melody line that carries two vocalists. Young and Weiman croon in unison, making their duet feel almost like a chant or a prayer, easeful, gentle, but steady, and again, with a lot of feeling and dramatic tension.
A moody cello haunts “Busking Song” with a dark, lurching presence, beautiful but with hints of what might be coming just around the corner of the tune. Young’s voice is a strong focal point, with its earnest emotional fiber resonating in every note. Harmony vocals with Weiman bring bright moments to this dreary introspection and the change in color and tone, however, brief make the song as complex as a fine painting.
An upbeat, shuffling country accented tune, “Wish You Well” travels down the rails with brilliant persistence. Young’s vocal reminds of so many country crooners of days gone by, and a brittle electric guitar line just beneath his vocal makes this piece even tastier. King’s guitar break serves up a hot plate of down home flavor and the harmony vocals here work wonders in a wholesomely written chorus.
“Paper Cups” slows down the shuffle beat to allow Young’s voice and Weiman’s cello to traipse across the soundscape with gentle aplomb. Less is more is a proven fact here as Young’s voice says a lot at this quiet pace and Weiman’s artful bowing releases a well spring of emotion within her quiet melody line. There is a bouncy little acoustic guitar line, underneath the two strong presences, that pulls the listener in deeper with its stronger than expected undertow.
After Weiman plays a beautifully toned, pleasantly performed cello “Interlude,” the trio move into CD closer “Garden.” A breezily paced number with a strong build up in guitars and drums, this tune becomes a grand finale as their instruments are on fire before the close and Young’s voice is at its most emotive. He starts off easeful and somber and eventually coos with soulful, rock and roll abandon. And man oh man, does that guitar smolder.
Young Frontier are onto something special and they’re off to a good start. Soulful male-female vocals, a plaintive, unique lead vocal, a variety of guitar and mandolin techniques, and a perfectly placed cello form into a gripping, impressive sound all their own. Appearing at folk venues, coffee shops, and listening rooms as an acoustic trio and maybe as a folk-rock unit at other venues should help this band lasso a lot of hearty fans.
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