When I first listened to Joshua James's third album, "Willamette Mountain", for some reason, it brought to my mind the song from a short film I watched in Film Studies in college - "An Occurence At Owl Creek Bridge", a film that takes place in the Civil War. Many of the songs off this album have that feel of yesterday, of generations past, and music that is at once timeless and can fit in any era.
I am no stranger to folk music. My interest in the genre developed at the age of 17 when some of my favorite rocks band - R.E.M., 10,000 Maniacs, Hugo Largo, Innocence Mission, etc. - relied heavily on folk music for their sound. Soon, I began getting into Sixties music to expand my appreciation. In my college days, I went to coffee shops often for live folk music - Sixth Street in Austin, Fiddler's Dream in Phoenix, and Bandaloops in Salt Lake City.
So it comes as no surprise that Joshua James comes from some of the same beautiful landscapes where I come from. He hails from Provo, Utah - the town where I was born, set against the majestic Mount Timpanogos.
Joshua James creates some beautiful and ethereal landscapes with his music. To tell you the truth, I didn't know very much about the guy when I downloaded the album. But this music will grab a hold of you and haunt you.
The album starts out with a warm song called "Mystic" that reminds me of a morning sunrise, and he evokes some Utah landmarks in this song. The next song "Queen of the City" is a gritty and raw song, yet at the same time it evokes some deep emotions - kind of in the same way that "Under the Milky Way" by the Church does for me. James's voice sounds much older than he really is. I was surprised to see he is a young man. There is a weight and experience in his voice that transcends his years, sounding a little like James Taylor, also a little like Bernard Fanning. "Surrender" is a waltz played on a bar room piano. "Doctor, Oh Doctor" and "Wolves" are some straight up folk songs. "Holly, Halej" and "Feel the Same" are also folk songs, but they have some other instrumentation woven in that gives the songs a lovely billowing effect. The title track - "Willamette Mountain" - starts out with a simple acoustic guitar, but ends with a tremendous crescendo.
My favorite songs are "So Did I", "Ghost in the Town", and "Sister". These songs speak to me on such a personal level. Do you ever hear a song and know that it will always remind you of a certain time in your life? That - no matter how many years go by- you will hear these songs and be overcome with nostalgia and a wistful feeling for that time? I know that this will be case with these songs.
This album is definitely worth a listen.
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