Exclusive ND First Spin: Cahalen Morrison & Eli West – ‘Our Lady of the Tall Trees’

by Kim Ruehl

There’s a danger one risks, when deciding to pursue traditional-style music. You can spend so much time digging into the roots that you lose grip on your own solid ground. We see this all the time from folks who follow the trends into the traditions. But, what’s refreshing and rare is the opportunity to hear artists whose roots are so firmly planted, they seem to simply be channeling something beyond themselves. There’s an effortless simplicity to the correlation between melody, lyrics, rhythm, and roots. Such is the case, once again, with Cahalen Morrison and Eli West, whose new album, Our Lady of the Tall Trees, is available for live streaming below. 

Ever since strolling onto the scene with their debut disc – The Holy Coming of the Storm – last year, Cahalen Morrison & Eli West have been stirring up some serious energy. You can check out Dustin Ogdin’s review of that disc from last January. He wrote: “There is a dirt-stained nobility to their music, an acoustic blend of strings, harmonies, and songwriting that hearkens back to the roots of America and beyond.”

Indeed, this same rustic honesty is overtly present in Our Lady of the Tall Trees, as the duo wastes no time trying to sound any specific way, but instead focuses wholly on the raw, unadulterated goodness which seams to soar from their every pluck, pick, harmony, and strum. See what you think in the exclusive live stream below and share your thoughts in the comments.

Our Lady of the Tall Trees by Eli West