054: The Felice Brothers - Let Me Ride Away With The Horsemen
...because when Ian Felice sings that whisky-rich voice, and that accordion rolls up behind, there are few more affecting sounds in this funny musical world we inhabit.
Pulled together from songs that didn't make their past couple of records, the aptly named Valley of Abandoned Songs is no less poignant for that fact, hanging together beautifully under a swampy cloud of early-morning fog, all gothic heartache and tender nostalgia.
'Let Me Ride Away With The Horsemen' is indicative of such moods, a rich and gorgeous ballad that feels like the band in a microcosm; sad country songs sung with red eyes, as soul-stirring now as ever before.
You know my sins
You kept the log
You followed me through the gothic fog
All of my days
Let me ride away
With the horsemen
Now I’m on a cliff
Looking down on the world
And the sky is dark with anguish
And the sun is a lion
And the moon is a silver platter
With the head of John the Baptist
Something walks along with me
Something I cannot see
Show me your face
Or let me ride away
With the horsemen
Now I’m on a cliff
Looking down at the world
On a horse named Hallelujah
The empty suit
Of that long dead street musician
Is hovering above park avenue
I can see the alley where I used to sleep
I can hear my footsteps in the snow white street
I can see the captain and the bride unveiled
And the crucifixion and the dripping nail
Now my horse is running, she’s bridled and saddled She whinnies and neighs as the rattlesnakes rattle
There’s a pit of fire and a pit of vipers
And there’s orange blossom
And there’s blooming cypress
My life is a blade of grass
In a season it all will pass
Show me your face
Or let me ride away
With the horsemen
Valley Of Abandoned Songs is out now, via Million Stars
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