Blindfaller

"On their fifth album, 2016's Blindfaller, Mandolin Orange once again show they have a true gift for keeping one foot in the past and the other in the present day ... Blindfaller finds Mandolin Orange taking some strong steps forward while keeping a close watch on what they do best, and this music should please old fans while intriguing new ones".

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"Augmenting their original mandolin and fiddle configuration, Andrew Marlin and Emily Frantz manage a fuller sound [...] fleshing out the duo's spare acoustic arrangements and providing a warm undercurrent for their Appalachian harmonies. And what gorgeously laidback harmonies they are ... Blindfaller offers little in the way of revelatory performances or musicality and that seems to be exactly the point. In a genre in which instrumental virtuosity is often overly praised, the members of Mandolin Orange manage to keep the focus on the strength of the material, not those behind the wheel. Taking this approach, each song manages to largely stand on its own both lyrically and melodically rather than hinging on a solo or instrumental break. In this, Blindfaller proves to be yet another fine, workmanlike effort from this wonderfully consistent pair of gifted songwriters and Americana preservationists".

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