Description
Skeleton Crew is the debut album from Kansas City mother and son duo, Madisen Ward and The Mama Bear. First single Silent Movies debuted on US broadcast television, Late Show with David Letterman. BBC Radio 1s Huw Stephen gave the track its first play, tagging it One of the highlights from SXSW last week.
On Skeleton Crew, producer Jimmy Abbiss (Adele, Artic Monkeys) stays out of the musics way as he captures the tranquil intimacy of sublime acoustic-guitar-and-vocals-only story songs like Dead Daffodils and Undertaker and Juniper. On poppier toe-tappers like lead-off single Silent Movies or Daisy Jane, and cryptic blues offerings like Modern Day Mystery, Abbiss adds few frills (the occasional train beat on a snare drum here, a tambourine or electric guitar lead there). That careful approach works for a set of songs that tackle life-and-death themes with character sketches and snapshots of the living that happens in between. Rolling Stone
The new darlings of the Americana world, the Kansas City, Mo.-based acoustic guitar duo of Madisen Ward and his mother, Ruth, are worthy of all the attention surrounding them. The younger Ward s voice has an unvarnished church-revival quality that gives simple songs like Live By Water a cheerful and robust authenticity. His voice jumps and leaps across the soundstage on songs like the exuberant Silent Movies, an infectious toe-tapping, booty-shaking sing-along. Mama Bear, with her strong-but-subtle presence, beautifully supports contemplative tunes like Modern Day Mystery and adds a congenial texture to light-hearted songs like Whole Lotta Problems. When she takes center stage at the beginning of Fight On, there s nothing one can do but listen intently; it s as stunning a song as has been recorded this year. This is an amazing record from a true American music treasure. Relix
Madisen Ward and the Mama Bear s unique mother/child musical collaboration is never stilted or exploited for cheap effect, and the natural synergy between the two creates affecting, unadorned music with the emotion and staying power only a family can conjure. American Songwriter
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