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Eden. As in the Garden of. The place we wish we could get to. The place that must exist somewhere. Craig's new album takes us to the outskirts of a place called Eden. Its familiar faces and characters you know you have seen but who don't necessarily have a name. As the music in Eden washes over you, Craig's emotion packed delivery is as desperate as it is cathartic. No need for expensive psychotherapy here; just take a listen to some of the tunes on Eden and the endorphins will make your problems melt.
Mix 5 parts Jewish and 5 parts Irish Catholic and you get 13 parts diverse Craig Bancoff. With roots in western Pennsylvania's coal mines, you get the grit and struggles of Springsteen's working man. With his harmonies and dazzling melodies, you get a bit of the early Beatles simple yearning. Throw in Craig's multilayered intelligence and a staunch belief in truth, you get a free trip to this town just outside of where we all wish we could get to…Eden.
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After the Bite:
Eden is a beautifully arranged album that fans of lush imagery and down home tonality will simply love. There is a very real sense of authenticity as told through acoustic guitars, violins, and plaintive lyrics sung with the patience of a veteran songwriter. These are ancient stories within a modern setting full of homesick nostalgia and rife with America in era not quite over. The instrumentation is outstanding without ever becoming self indulgent. The pedal steel is truly haunting and always supports the complex if not always conspicuous melody. The depth of the songs seem to reveal themselves over several listens with the arrangements gently there to reinforce it's veracity. I admit I'm torn when praising Eden. Not recognizing this album as a wondrous tribute to our deepest questions, sung with an equal part of sadness and equanimity, belies my appreciation of art at a fundamental level. However, to be swept away by it's charm and insight is to admit to sensitivity, pathos and reverence. The honesty of Eden is as distressing as it is glorious yet I'm left craving more.
-John White
Review of Eden from Bill's Music Forum
http://billsmusicforum.blogspot.com/2010/01/review-craig-bancoff-eden.htmllinks
Craig Bancoff is making contemporary alt-country music for grown ups. If you are looking for that perfect soundtrack for your early morning Sundays, or something to contemplate during an overcast day, Bancoff's "Eden" is the CD to play.
Fearlessly exploring the "outskirts of Eden" with his wise and insightful lyrics, Bancoff is no stranger to the grit and grime of every man's work day. He has roots in the coal mines of western Pennsylvania, and the melancholy in his music captures that imagery. "Eden" is similar to the darker Springsteen acoustic classics, like "Nebraska" or "Ghost of Tom Joad". Still, at times, you can see a glimmer of light and inhale a breath of fresh air as you emerge from the depths of this record. The beautiful cover art is truly reflective of the music inside.
Bancoff couches his songs in pedal steel, mandolin, and acoustic guitars, straddling the line between soft rock and country. The instruments are expertly recorded, capturing their innate qualities rather than burying them in effects and noise. Bancoff's gentle yet firm vocals are ideal for this genre, somewhere between Jackson Browne and James Taylor. Highlights include the catchy opener "Crutch", the weepy "Beautiful Lies", and touching ballad, "Waiting".
If you like Tom Petty ("Wildflowers" era), Jayhawks, or Works Progress Administration, there is plenty on "Eden" that will feel like paradise to you.
iPOD-worthy: 1, 2, 5, 7, 10
by Bill Sullivan of Bill's Music Forum
A review in BlogCritics by Mat Brewster:
http://blogcritics.org/music/article/radio-free-mp3-craig-bancoff-elizabeth/
"Crutch" - Craig Bancoff
From the album Eden
There are times in my life when I've felt so vulnerable, so incredibly fragile that it seemed the smallest movement, the slightest breeze would leave me shattered. Craig Bancoff writes music like that. "Crutch" is as fragile as a Faberge egg, and just as beautiful. It begins with this soft, precious plucking of guitar strings that sounds like a whisper. Craig enters with his gentle father voice that sounds something of a cross between Tom Petty and Ryan Adams. An organ swirls quietly in the back like a nursery rhyme. When things finally crank up a bit its still closer to story time in the library than a night at Good Time Charlies.
It is a lovely, beautiful song that while fragile glows with craftsmanship.
The new album, Eden, is out now. You can hear more on his Myspace page, or his official website.
-Mat Brewster, www.blogcritics.com
