The new EP, Western Pine, from banjo-playing, folk-standard-loving, country-soul singer- songwriter, Talise will let you time travel. With songs, sounds, instruments, and themes that outlive eras, her heartfelt approach to song craft reminds us about the importance of real-world musical talent and what it means to craft a classic in 2024.
In an age where decision making is so ingrained in our every action, it’s easy to lose track of just how many choices we make in a day. Now, turning on the television doesn’t even mean we get to kick back; instead, we’re presented with a handful of streaming apps, each with a catalogue that could take anywhere from an hour to a month to browse.
Constantly faced with so many options, decision-paralysis can become a very real, very prevalent barrier that stops us from making any decision at all.
The process of creating music is not immune to this societal trend. Today, sample libraries, plug-ins, and other readily available revolutionary recording tools can make the decision-making an endless process.
In her new EP, Markdale-based artist Talise demonstrates a clear trust in her song writing and an ability to create art that doesn’t rely on a massive realm of effects to flush out an idea. Her songs are well-crafted and recorded the way songs used to be. Featuring traditional instruments and raw performances, the studio versions allow you to feel as if you are in the room while they are being tracked.
Choosing to make this kind of music means that your singing and playing need to be up to snuff, but more than that: your songs need to say something. Listening to tracks like Faustman’s Grove, her storyteller’s ability to carry a timeless weight with poise and intention is evident. She performs with such a reserved intensity that, to me, only comes from someone who demands the attention of an audience, no matter how large or intimate.
In the stripped back title track Western Pine, Talise expertly captures a performance that allows me to almost hear the cool whistling wind of evening flowing through the woods, as the reflection of a fiery glow on wooden beams warms my back. The track begins with the tasteful rhythmic plucking of a baritone banjo, followed by a moving vocal performance, where breath is maintained and the space for magic is held.
At times, reminiscent of powerful voices like Anais Mitchell and Loretta Lynn, this 21-year-old sings as if she has had more than one lifetime to hone her craft. The sure-fire reliance of self that presents in her, at times hauntingly beautiful, vocal performances seems to lull me into a deeper state of presence, one where I can absorb each note fully and experience the nuances of the tale.
As she sings “I still carry all the pain I held as a child,” I’m convinced yet again that the human experience, while unique to each individual, is so much more universal than we give it credit for. It’s through music like this that I feel connected, not to a select few, but to everyone who bears the weight of humanity. This raw musical moment takes place in a live-off-the-floor atmosphere where subtle, but strong harmonies offer chilling moments of reinforcement.
In Pretty Little Ghost, her rich timbre and melody work sit atop a simple, but infectious backbeat as she tells the story of a lost soul longing for assistance or comfort in a fishing village that is clinging onto life.
With numerous upcoming and past performances at area hotspots like Come Together Music Festival, The Small World Art Church and Losers Only Saloon in Beaver Valley, Talise aims to build a community around old-time folk and country music in the Markdale area.
To experience honest, original folk-country songs that pay homage to the past and honour the structures of trad-folk, listen to the new EP Western Pine by Talise wherever you listen.
Written by Marshall Veroni
