I’m With Her – ‘Wild and Clear and Blue’ album review: Is beauty enough?
THE SKINNY: Is beauty enough? Is beauty the aim? Two important questions in the world of art. It calls for us to wonder what the aim of it is. Is art made to be nice, or is it made to be impactful? I’m With Her nail the first, but their new album, Wild and Clear and Blue, falters slightly on the second.
That feels harsh. There are moments of impact here, especially felt in the opening track and throughout the album when the instrumentation dives deeper into folk tradition, feeling imbued with a rich history. But overwhelmingly, that impact, too, comes from beauty. The listener feels moved because the sound is pretty—it’s angelic—but is that enough to keep you locked in for 11 tracks?
It got me thinking about Bob Dylan and the outrage when he turned his back on politics. The folk community, especially, were utterly devastated when he stopped saying something. To a portion of him, that was the end of his worth. The songs were still good, still catchy, still beautiful. But in the eyes of many, their worth ceased when they were no longer proclaiming something or taking the risk to stand up for something.
Risk feels important. Is that what draws the line and makes something nice into something truly incredible, especially in the world of folk music, where even the worst of it is still instrumentally and sonically stunning? It feels that way here. I’m With Her have made something beautiful, for sure. It is packed with musical skill, delicate layers of sound and tight harmonies that please the ears. This is an album that will be greatly enjoyed as something gorgeous to listen to. But when it comes to trying to talk about it, it doesn’t give me much to say, because it doesn’t say much.
“It’s really nice” isn’t good enough, nor is “it’s beautiful”. Though those facts are true and are important and should be celebrated, it doesn’t make for a standout from where I’m standing, nor does it leave a lasting impression once the goosebumps sparked up by something beautiful and pleasant have calmed down again.
For fans of: Pretty folk music.
But not for fans of: folk music honouring the idea that the genre is powered by purpose and politics.
Wild and Clear and Blue track by track
Release date: May 9th | Producer: Josh Kaufman | Label: Rounder
‘Ancient Light’: Timelessly beautiful with a scattering of interesting choices to keep it feeling fresh and intriguing. [3.5/5]
‘Wild and Clear and Blue’: Less gripping than the opening track, but with music like this, that’s so undeniably beautiful, it’s hard to hold onto any level of critique. [3/5]
‘Sisters Of The Night Watch’: Instrumentally beautiful but lyrically weaker again as things become a bit pastiche here. [2.5/5]
‘Different Rocks, Different Hills’: I’m With Here are masters at pretty layering, a fact that blurs over any sense that this album feels slightly like a one-trick pony because that pony is so stunning. [3/5]
‘Standing On The Fault Line’: Focus is renewed by the change in lead singer here, adding new textures and energy to the album in a way that is always a bonus to having a multi-vocalist troupe. [3/5]
‘Mother Eagles (Sing Me Alive)’: Full of energy, the way this song builds into a climax where the band’s three voices feel like an almighty chorus makes your skin go goosebumpy. [3.5/5]
‘Only Daughter’: However, while I’m aware the instrumentation across this whole album is very traditional and classically folk, it does start to feel samey by now, demanding a few more moments of change and boldness. [2/5]
‘Find My Way To You’: That being said, this track’s deeper dive into traditional sounds through the fiddle moments provides that change, proving that it doesn’t need to come from modernisation. [3.5/5]
‘Strawberry Moonrise’: A beautiful interlude. [NA]
‘Year After Year’: Instantly feeling like something a bit fresh, this late-stage track has immediate grip and holds onto it as an album highlight that builds beautifully at the end. [3.5/5]
‘Rhododendron’: The final track is a lengthy one, but it feels much the same as the rest. Yes, it is lyrically poetic and instrumentally beautiful, but it could maybe use a bit more or something. [3/5]
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