Watchhouse - Blindfaller

Watchhouse's Blindfaller is back on vinyl, the 2016 album Andrew Marlin and Emily Frantz first released under their former name, Mandolin Orange.

The North Carolina duo had been quietly building a fiercely loyal following in roots music, and Blindfaller, which followed Such Jubilee, found them at their most assured. Marlin's songs lean on bluegrass, old-time and folk traditions without ever sounding like a museum piece, and Frantz's fiddle and harmonies give them an extra layer of grace. The pair would later adopt the Watchhouse name, and this record now carries it.

Hey Stranger sets out with a gentle, welcoming warmth, Marlin's voice soft and unhurried. Wildfire is the album's emotional core, a slow, mournful reflection on how hatred and division get handed down through American history. Echo is hushed and haunting, and Take This Heart of Gold closes the album on a tender, open-hearted note.

The arrangements are sparse and intimate, with mandolin, guitar and fiddle given plenty of space. Every note feels considered, and the silence between them matters just as much.

Thoughtful, harmony-rich Americana rarely gets more quietly powerful than this, and the record only grows with repeat plays. It is best heard late at night, with nothing else competing for your attention.