We crawl before we walk and babble before we talk. Life lessons loom large in our early years, with mishaps and misfortunes—some of our own making—filling the shelves in the expansive stockroom that is memory, where as much space (maybe more) is devoted to good times. Yet, as the years and decades blur by, life becomes somewhat rudimentary; the newness aspect of the day-to-day declines and our ups and downs, though still often dramatic, are nowhere near as traumatic. Stumbles and tumbles somehow turn into graceful pirouettes. We may not have been here before, but we’ve been in the vicinity—or so we tell ourselves.
On Friday, the Castellows (aka sisters Ellie, Powell and Lily Balkcom)—one of my favorite country groups—shared a taste of their forthcoming debut album. Over the past few years, as fans can attest, they’ve released three engaging EPs and a slew of singles, played opening act to stadium stars and headlined their own theater tour. If “Mr. Right” and “Closer Still” are any indication, they should be filling arenas soon. Both are remarkable, engaging tunes, the type that find you clicking repeat once they come to an end. The former, which they cowrote with Chris Tompkins, is about moving on from a man who proved himself to be a Mr. Wrong; it simultaneously conjures the (Dixie) Chicks and Simon & Garfunkel while maintaining their own distinct vibe. It’s moody yet infectious, especially on the “bye-bye” chorus.
As good as that song is, however, “Closer Still” is next-level; as I’m apt to say, “wow. Just wow.” It stops time, sounding like an old gospel hymn rescued from the b-side of a now-obscure Carter Sisters single. (It’s not, of course; the Castellows cowrote it with Mando Saenz.) Accompanied by just a resonant bass, their voices join as one, living the lyrics with wearied grace.
