Burlap to Cashmere back from hiatus

By Jayson Berray in Music on July 22nd, 2011 | Comments Off

Burlap To Cashmere: Burlap To Cashmere
Release Date: July 19th, 2011
Length: 36:30
Genre: Alternative
Label: Jive Label Group
Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars

Burlap To Cashmere hasn’t made new music together for a very long time. By most music industry standards, many people probably thought they had seen the last of the group long ago.

But they have persevered.

More than 10 years between albums is just ridiculous. But to have faith and talent enough to plunge ahead at a second chance after so much time and several setbacks proves that there is something here worth looking into.

Those setbacks included exhaustion from extensive touring behind their 1998 debut “Anybody Out There?” and an incident in 2005 when guitarist and founding member John Philippidis was severely injured after a near-fatal incident involving road rage in his home state of New York.

Their new self-titled album is coming at a good time. The sound is going to fit right in. Some would say back in the ’90s that Burlap To Cashmere paved the way for a lot of the popular neo-folk bands today, such as Fleet Foxes, Blitzen Trapper and Mumford & Sons. As a whole, their sound was and is unique because it takes modern folk and blends it with elements of European styles, specifically Flamenco.

Recorded in 2010 with producer Mitchell Froom — who has worked with the likes of Paul McCartney, Elvis Costello, and Tom Waits — the new album is a return to basics. It focuses mainly on acoustic instrumentation and the vocal stylings of lead singer Steven Delopoulos, who enjoyed a good measure of solo success during the band’s long hiatus.

Several of the songs are specifically reminiscent of a Simon & Garfunkel sound. The songs “Love Reclaims the Atmosphere,” “Live In A Van” and “Tonight” all seem to draw direct influence from the famous duo, mostly in the vocal harmonies.

The Flamenco stylings for which Burlap To Cashmere are known really show up in “Orchestrated Love Song,” “Santorini” and “Nehemiah (Build A Wall).”

One high point on the album is its closer, “Other Country.” It is a hopeful track that seems to be inspired by everything that this group has been through and where they hope to one day end up. Personal beliefs are also a theme — thinking about life after death. It works well because it gives the song heart.

One thing is for sure — this album will re-ignite the love of longtime fans and wrangle up the attention of newcomers. If nothing else, I would imagine that with this much time and life experience since the last time we heard from these fellows, they are probably to the point where they are mainly making music because they still enjoy it. And that is good for the listener, because it means we’re getting the most authentic experience possible.