Review Summary: What makes The Staves special and sets them apart from the exponentially growing collection of folk suits is the mesmerizing siren song provided by the Stavely sisters. Some of the songs lack climax, though, and would benefit from more length.
As far as folk albums go, the Mexico EP raises itself above many others. What makes The Staves special and sets them apart from the exponentially growing collection of folk suits is the mesmerizing siren song provided by the Stavely sisters. The pitches are spot-on. The voices all complement each other. And the harmonies they come up with are so musically sound that you can't help but be swept away a little bit when they hit that harmony just right. And fortunately for the listeners, that happens more than once per track.
This debut EP is just a teeny one, though. There are three tracks: Mexico, Icarus and I Try. Mexico offers a solemn sound, opening with a guitar tune that lays the framework for the verses of the song. Eventually the chorus comes and works off of the framework, introducing the harmonies that the sisters are so excellent at performing. This continues until a vocal-and-instrumental break, introducing a floor tom into the mix. Unfortunately, the song never really climaxes. It's all beautiful and pleasant, and there are moments of transcendence throughout, but there's not really a hard-hitting point where you can say to yourself, "This is the absolute culmination of the song." Nevertheless, it's a unique folk song, and it builds consistently. It's just a bit disappointing for a title track.
Icarus is next, right away sporting a driving guitar riff that carries the song along. The verse starts, and listeners are treated with a few lines of very pleasant vocals and beautiful lyrics. I really do wish this song were longer, because it's carried along well, the lyrics are a treat, and the vocals are just gorgeous throughout. As an improvement from "Mexico," there is a climax where all of the instrumentation and vocals come together. No words, just an "oh" run that sends shivers the first time you hear it. For me, this song is what the Mexico EP is all about - it achieves success with just the outstanding vocals and modest guitar, but would benefit from being a bit longer.
The short-lived album comes to its end with "I Try." While it's probably the most lyrically well-crafted of all of the songs on the album, it offers little in the way of musical ingenuity and euphony. It has a clever shift in time signatures between the first iteration of the chorus and the next, but otherwise lacks a satisfying climax and barely breaks the three-minute mark. The song is candid and tender, but it takes so long to build that by the time it's at its peak, the listener may be tired of the song, or just distracted by the shift in time signature. But even the weakest song on the album isn't an instant skip on the music player - it offers a pleasant experience that someone who's listening to folk music would be well-satisfied with.
The things that make the Mexico EP weak are fortunately remedied in their LP. It was certainly successful as a debut EP, though, as it made me want to look for more of their music.
Recommended Song: Icarus
