Cahalen Morrison & Eli West lay down Our Lady of the Tall Trees

When Paul Simon and Art Garfunkel burst onto the music scene with “The Sound of Silence” in 1965, America was spiraling into the grips of a protracted war in Southeast Asia, leaving those at home to shake off the dross of Pat Boone’s happy-go-lucky, Chevrolet-and-apple pie apathy.  Theirs was a score for a nation in turmoil. Few since have enwrapped eager ears with such close harmonies, such melancholic scene painting.  Simon and Garfunkel made people feel.

Twelve years into the 21-st century, America’s young people again struggle under the shackles of a seemly interminable conflict, this time in the Middle East—while at home, “reality” television and 140-character thumb prose numb the emptiness of economic malaise.  Amid these contemporary struggles, two new voices are rekindling America’s musical fire again: Cahalen Morrison and Eli West.  Hailing from the Pacific Northwest, the duo has already built a substantial fan base without so much as a nod to the established music industry.  Instead, they rely on the fruits of their word craft (nay, poetry), their harmonies and their impeccable multi-instrumental mastery.

Their first album, The Holy Coming of the Storm, is replete with poetic meanderings and plucky claw hammer banjo runs that could almost make one forget about the troubles of the 21-st century.  The tune “Lover Adorned”, for example, conjures the auditory equivalent of a pause button for worry—sweet, sincere, harmonic convergence.  Their live performances are equally captivating, and serve only to whet the appetite for more.  Simon & Garfunkel could only hope to make people feel so good.

Given the handcrafted elegance of their first album, my wife and I were excited to hear that Cahalen & Eli have a new album due out later in the summer of 2012.  Titled Our Lady of the Tall Trees, the album features new material and some sweet renditions of Americana classics.  In order to help offset the cost of studio production, the duo has launched a crowd-funding campaign on Kickstarter.com. We wholeheartedly encourage you join us as backers!  Visit their campaign page (click here) and give them as big of a boost as you can afford!  You will be extremely glad that you did!

Now, for a little bonus, click here for a video of Cahalen & Eli performing the title track from their new album, Our Lady of the Tall Trees.  Enjoy!