album review: sky of dresses

so, i've recently had a listen to musikanto's upcoming album sky of dresses. and i've got to say, it's an extremely likable, warm album that skips across multiple musical genres effortlessly.



chicago based, musikanto sounds a bit like a more folky ryan adams with a dash of van morrison thrown in. his songs all have honey-like guitars and plain yet evocative lyrics, making them feel a bit like old friends rather than new discoveries. best of all, he uses instruments that are often looked over nowadays, such as an accordion, harmonica, horns or cymbals - but never in a cheesy way. each addition brings to its respective song(s) a new facet of personality that helps it stand out from a lot of folk based music being produced today.

some highlights off of the album:

* blues for momma - a sad song, truly, about the fear and angst that comes with the possibility of losing a parent. simple in that its just an acoustic guitar and a heartfelt voice, it's quite lovely. japanese redbird on my windowsill/cut out of paper but it still seems real

* byzantine - anchored by a strong piano melody, this song has a bit of an infectious quality to it, especially in the chorus. you gotta say how you feel/i don't hold that against you, girl/i had my words sewn up tight/not to let you down/but you know that i did

* false wind - orchestral in the beginning but transitioning into a bluesy ballad, and then back to an intriguing mixture of both the jazzy piano and orchestral strings together like strange bedfellows, this song is akin to a poem realized. there's a gravedigger by the side of the road/and he holds your soul for a moment, don't you know/where the rows of villas/and the kings river sighed/there's a false wind that will blow you home

* my heart won't bleed anymore - reminiscent in many ways of a ryan adams song, this one treads the line between so many genres. there's country, americana, the blues, and even standard folk ballads to combine to create a multifaceted gem. lovely guitar lines with an interesting use of cymbals. she smiles when she's angry/and i do the same thing, too/'cause she doesn't want anyone to see her crying in my car/and i don't, too

* every which way - the single off of sky of dresses, this song has a twinge of sadness lingering underneath its accordion and honky-tonk accompaniments.

where do you sleep my darling?
where do you rest your head?
i'm 40 miles from anywhere
and my heart is on threads
i want your love right in front of me
i want it every which way
i need not know where you come from, my darling
just that you want to stay
just that you want to stay

oh, momma
i need to come undone and rest my soul
oh, momma
come and meet me in this cold

through the muddiest of phone lines
and the buzz upstairs
you can hear a hurricane coming
but i'm not scared
i mother all my obsessions
when i can't get a break
but your eyes are like diamonds
make that hurricane shake
make that hurricane shake

oh, momma
i need to come undone and rest my soul
and oh, momma
come and meet me in this cold

every breeze i feel a silver right(?)
but this shell-shocked body to find love
my heart is flooded like a river in a mine
and i'm
yeah, i'm waiting on your side

i want your love right in front of me
i want it every which way
i need not know where you come from, my darling
just that you want to stay
just that you want to stay
(mp3) every which way by musikanto

check out the video for every which way:



sky of dresses will be released on august 2nd via grape juice records. go HERE to learn more about it.