Abigail Washburn & The Sparrow Quartet

In a December 2007 interview with CBS News, Abigail Washburn told the cameras, “I like the idea that all of us are becoming more of this amorphous global citizen rather than people that stand behind national lines. I like the idea of the nation state itself sort of dissolving and all of us sharing a culture while preserving a sense of what’s great about where we come from”. Coming from a musician (well, one other than the infamous Bono) that is a fairly ambitious sentiment, one that is difficult to support with a musical thesis. However, with the upcoming release from Abigail Washburn & The Sparrow Quartet, the group has triumphantly encompassed this statement by crafting the musical equivalent of a global identity. But, this is no mere pastiche concocted from random samplings of world music influences. Instead it stands as the brilliant representation of the collective identity of The Sparrow quartet, each member asserting their own unique contributions and dissolving the boundaries between seemingly antithetical musical genres.

At the center of it all stands the unifying influence of Abigail Washburn, whose own personal and musical background represents a parallel to the mixture of Eastern and Western cultural dynamics found on the album. The sound that emanates from this album is at once a nod to both Chinese and American folk culture, two sources that Washburn readily identifies with, while finding a coalescence somewhere near neo-classical roots music. The end result is an intricate collection of songs that is as aurally pleasing as they are intellectually complex. The album asserts its own importance by defining a new sense of the authentic that is cultivated by the varied musical styles of the established players of the Sparrow Quartet.

“Overture” opens the self-titled album with Ben Sollee’s cello laying a legato foundation to introduce each of the players and engage them in a musical dialogue. Bela Fleck’s banjo plays a slow banjo roll that mingles with Casey Driessen’s expressive fiddle playing, with all the players moving between classical, bluegrass, and Chinese musical influences as the piece gains momentum transitioning into the first vocal track of the album, “A Fuller Wine”.

The progression from the first song into the next is almost unnoticeable and Abigail Washburn’s vocals lend an added weight to the already strong musical foundation created by Fleck, Driessen, and Sollee. With Washburn’s angelic voice singing “Everywhere I go I look for you”, in an arcing melodic line, Sollee deftly constructs a hypnotic counter melody that crescendos as he descends the neck of his cello. The beautifully complex arrangements serve to add to the strength of Washburn’s lyrics, which in “A Fuller Wine” simultaneously dwell upon the love of another and personal reflection, and it is this self-contemplation in the face of exterior influences that dominates the album.

“Strange Things” follows “A Fuller Wine” with the quartet moving away from the more overtly Western sound of the previous track. Washburn’s vocals set the stage for this song, mirrored by a single string banjo accompaniment that establishes a minor tone quality, creating a desolate sound. Here once again the instrumental arrangements elegantly enhance Washburn’s lyrics, which claim that, “Strange things are happening everyday”. Fleck’s banjo playing shines on this track as he viciously attacks his chromatic roll patterns, which are subtly altered by the groups playing.

As the album continues, the Quartet never becomes complacent in their songwriting as they perpetually engage in what amounts to a cultural dialogue via string instruments. “Great Wall In China” playfully moves between musical genres utilizing fugue styled arrangements that sporadically break into bouts of bluegrass splendor. “Taiyang Chulai” and “Sugar & Pie” will instantaneously demand the listener’s attention as Washburn sets Chinese lyrics to predominantly western musical motifs, with “Sugar & Pie” getting down right funky. There is even room for old time traditionals like “Banjo Pickin’ Girl” to make an appearance and get a Sparrow Quintet style overhaul.

The album comes to a close with “Journey Home” yet another beautifully conceived arrangement of Chinese lyrics set to dramatic strings. The ironically titled song comments upon many of the motifs explored upon the album, directly engaging the listener with a ‘homecoming’ ballad sung in a foreign language. This finale requests the listener to abandon their preconceived notions of “folk” music and embark upon a “Journey Home” in which the home is that of Washburn’s idealized “amorphous global citizen”. So, allow me to be the first to say “Welcome Home,” wherever that may be.

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