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The Giving Tree Band - Unified Folk Theory By: Brian Campbell  |
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The Giving Tree Band
Unified Folk Theory
Crooked Creek Records
www.thegivingtreeband.com
The Giving Tree Band’s latest effort, Unified Folk Theory, is printed on 100 percent recycled materials. That’s statement, that act, is in short what this group of humanitarians are all about. Ten trees will be planted for every 1000 units of this record, and also the band is donating $2 of every sale to help benefit Hand in Hand USA. And believe it or not, that is just a small portion of the wonderful things the Giving Tree Band represents and is all about.
OK, enough about the kind things they do for the environment, and onto their music. Unified Folk Theory is truly a folk music opus. It is an unplugged look into the minds and hearts of the members of the band, driven by ethereal vocals and wonderful guitar plucking. This is a record with a lot of different sounds to indulge in, encompassing and encapsulating everything from dobros, harmonicas, pianos, whistles, ukuleles, chimes, banjitars, tambourines, mandolins and cellos, and that isn’t even the complete list of musical instruments these guys employ.
Unified Folk Theory is broken into two parts. No real reason, probably simply because they wanted to bestow a two disc gift on the listener. It is hard to pull off a two disc set without drums, but the Giving Tree Band pull it off splendidly. Recess is a standout track off the first disc due to its long and often guitar interludes and solos, which go to show the listener just what type of guitar talent this band has. Disc two shines with the upbeat bluegrass poppiness of Riddle of Love and Hit the Road, scores with the picturesque story of Lonesome Road and also the airy, country feel of Soul Bird. Not that it is any sort of a competition, but I would cast my vote for Disc Two being the better offering due to it’s multitude of varying sounds.
When you toss in Unified Folk Theory, get ready for a long ride, literally. Disc one houses 17 tracks, while disc two plays host to 16 more. In the end what you get is 32 tracks of an acoustic voyage, driven by beautiful vocals harmonies, great musicianship and guitar flair. Get ready to relax.
Plucks like:
- Dan Fogelberg – The Innocent Age
- James Taylor – October Road
- John Denver – Portrait
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