Mount Moriah – Miracle Temple
I find it very difficult to dislike American folk music, the basic formula that everyone from Dolly Parton to Allison Krauss and the Union state band all use is one that cannot go wrong; strumming guitars, drums and a fantastic vocalist, it's so simple that even Mr Conway Twitty understood the basics!
Recently the Nashville sound has had additional limelight in the UK thanks to a TV show of the same name that has been so successful that they released the music of the show in its own album. Queue the new release by Mount Moriah a Carolina based band that take the same formula and modernise it, it can't possibly go wrong.
Miracle Temple is the band's second release and if those with a bit of power pick it up it will be their launch pad. The main cannon of their assault on success will be singer Heather McEntire, her voice takes a quintessential southern twang and modernises it, a modern Dolly Parton if you will or a country Lana Del Ray and her voice shines over the music like a lighthouse over a storm.
That storm is delivered through by the guitar tracks of Jenks Miller and the bass tracks of Casey Toll. James Wallace completes the line up on understated drums, Organ and Piano. My only complaint with this album is that these guys need to step up their game a little more, for a band that claim to have soulful rhythm and bolder guitars you leave me wanting on one too many tracks.
Stand out track on this album (by far) is Miracle Temple Holiness and this is because its musical track comes right up to standard with the vocals. Its soulful, southern, modern and combines great lyrics with great guitars in a way that is reminiscing to Fleetwood Mac and the addition of strings add depth where other records fall short.
Given the quality change from first to second album release, this is a fantastic record. If they can keep momentum and develop further then they will be a real chart topping force.