Half Moon Light [Yellow Vinyl] [B&N Exclusive]

by The Lone Bellow

Overview

The Lone Bellow may have been formed in New York City, but a listen to their first two albums, 2013's The Lone Bellow and 2015's Then Came the Morning, made it abundantly clear the three members of the group originally came from the Deep South. Their sound was an emphatic but unforced breed of Americana that was a good match for the passionate, often personal stories of lives in the balance that informed their lyrics. After moving to Nashville, the roots rock side of their personality lost some ground to a more explicitly country approach on 2017's Dave Cobb-produced Walk Into a Storm, but 2020's Half Moon Light finds them heading off into new territory. There's just enough twang audible on Half Moon Light to mark this as Americana, but the dominant sound hovers somewhere between indie rock and adult alternative, a smart mix of acoustic and electric instruments that gives keyboards a larger role than before and sounds cool and refined, even as Zach Williams' lead vocals hold on to their gentle drawl and emotional heft. While Williams and his bandmates -- multi-instrumentalist Kanene Donehey Pipkin and guitarist Brian Elmquist -- don't sound so different themselves, their surroundings do, and this appears to be an effort to move out of the roots music underground into more eclectic territory. Aaron Dessner of the National produced Half Moon Light (he was also at the controls for Then Came the Morning), and he's expertly constructed the cleaner surfaces and more expansive tone of this LP; he knows how to pump up the drama of tunes like "Friends," "Just Enough to Get By," and "I Can Feel You Dancing." This album is a bold step into fresh creative ground for the Lone Bellow. ~ Mark Deming

Product Details

Release Date:	02/07/2020
Label:	Barnes Noble Consign
UPC:	0803020206519

Album Credits

Performance Credits

The Lone Bellow   Primary Artist
Aaron Dessner   Bass,Juno,Organ,Piano,Guitar,Percussion,Synthesizer,Fender Rhodes,Hi String Guitar,Guitar (Acoustic),Guitar (Electric),Guitar (12 String),Guitar (12 String Acoustic)
Phil Chandler   Keyboards
Rob Moose   Viola,Violin
Thomas Bartlett   Organ,Piano,Keyboards,Mellotron,Synthesizer,Fender Rhodes
Lynn Williams   Vocals
Scotty Wilbanks   Organ
Jason Pipkin   Bass,Piano,Synthesizer
Benjamin Lanz   Trombone
Phil Cook   Harmonica,Organ (Hammond)
Ben Lanz   Synthesizer
Aaron Raitiere   Vocals
Dale Williams   Vocals
Tony Williams   Vocals
Kyle Resnick   Trumpet
Scotty Murray   Lap Steel Guitar
Anderson East   Vocals
Brian Elmquist   Piano,Vocals,Guitar (Acoustic)
Kanene Donehey Pipkin   Vocals
Zach Williams   Vocals,Guitar (Acoustic)
Josh Kaufman   Bass,Voice Organ,Slide Guitar,Guitar (Electric)
JT Bates   Drums,Percussion
Donna Wiliiams   Piano,Vocals
James Maccalister   Drums,Percussion
India Creery   Vocals
Narda Williams   Vocals
Tammy Young   Vocals

Technical Credits

Aaron Dessner   Composer,Producer,Drum Programming
Peter Katis   Mixing
Jason Pipkin   Composer,Engineer,Drum Programming,Additional Production
Jonathan Low   Mixing,Engineer
Aaron Raitiere   Composer
Kat Higgins   Composer
Bobby Hamrick   Composer
Jake Mitchell   Composer
Anderson East   Composer,Producer
Bella Blasko   Engineer
Brian Elmquist   Composer
Tyler James   Engineer
Kanene Donehey Pipkin   Composer
Zach Williams   Composer,Liner Notes