Honey on our Tongues makes music befitting their name, and their new EP, Crows Will Sing, is no different.
The Eugene, Oregon-based duo consists of Mara Cook (fiddle, guitar, vox) and Jeremiah Cullen (guitar, banjo, harmonica, mandolin, vox), who each bring their own unique inspirations and perspectives to their music. Cook, who was raised by the oceans of California, and Cullen, who was influenced by the Wasatch Mountains in Utah, create a heartfelt and grounded blend of folk and Americana music through their combined experiences and influences. This distinct blend is displayed on Crows Will Sing, which was recorded and mixed independently in the duo's RV.
The first track on the EP, "Over the Clouds," is a soft, encouraging ballad that showcases the duo's lush harmonies and tasteful instrumentals. The chorus reminds the listener to keep pushing forward and to look towards the future, with Cook and Cullen singing: "Don't stop reaching for the sky / Tend to the embers in your mind / There's a light that longs to greet you / Over the clouds."
The title track, "Crows Will Sing," offers a bit more energy than the tracks that come before it, reflecting the themes of freedom and joy present within the lyrics: "The crows will sing / Until your soul flies free." Agile banjo and guitar accompaniment pairs with fluid fiddle solos to paint a compelling musical image -- the ground rushing beneath the listener as their soul flies free.
"Snow White Dove" closes out the EP with a tender, stripped back track that explores the changes that time and experience can have on innocence and optimism. The duo sings about a "Snow white dove without a black spot on her wing / Who seven seasons later was a crow," potentially referring to the way time can alter a person entirely if given long enough. These lines are followed by "tTe shadows always see you with your back to the sun / So turn me round, open these eyes to hope," suggesting that darkness can always be conquered, so long as there is hope.
Crows Will Sing is yet another solid stepping stone in Honey on our Tongues' artistic and musical journey.
Featured photo by Chance Raffield
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