Maine-based duo The Ballroom Thieves are fresh off the release of their latest LP, the stunning and aptly-named Sundust. Composed of Callie Peters and Martin Earley, the two have crafted a deeply personal album full of gentle folk with a specialization in dazzling harmonies that circle around a central theme – “What if we were all just a little more tender?” In a world that is often unforgiving, cold, and ugly, Sundust stands as a bastion of human kindness – a heartwarming batch of ten songs that dares to look at the potential beauty buried deep inside of us all.
To create Sundust, Martin Earley and Callie Peters, the two masterminds behind The Ballroom Thieves, holed up in their home studio somewhere in the boondocks of Maine. They challenged themselves with a conscientious decision to record outside of a typical studio – the result is an incredibly intimate collection of sounds, songs, and feelings. The evidence is palpable from LP opener, “Everything is Everything.” Here, Callie’s soulful voice coos and sways overtop an in-the-pocket groove. A sparse composition led by acoustic guitar plunking and tasteful percussion (provided by drummer Cody Iwasiuk) is the perfect backbone to build upon. “Everything” fades into lead single “Right on Time” – the gentle sway of an acoustic guitar provides a lovely canvas for Martin Early to take the lead here. Lines like “Are you alive? Or are you a panic attack in the back of your own mind” sink into your psyche like a lead weight, juxtaposed against the otherwise featherlight folk strumming.
Beneath their uplifting facade, hints of subtle ennui start to peek through, which gives the album a lovely and deep-rooted sense of gravitas. There is more than just gentle, tender folk to dive into on Sundust, including track three, “Snake Bite.” In one of the “heaviest” moments on the LP, they dive into a Big Thief inspired guitar lick, layering lush harmonies over the gently distorted riff and some background synth flutes. There’s also the vintage radio mix intro found on “Angry Child” – lines like “The years have not been kind to such an angry child” peek into heavier topics, unpacking trauma through music (and what medium better to do so)? I hesitate to call these moments a “breath of fresh air,” but the journey to become more tender comes with acknowledging our faults, pasts, and traumatic experiences. The duo explain a bit more about this below:
“We would often find ourselves in deep, meaningful conversations with the talented friends we were creating with, swapping similar stories of cycle breaking and our growing compassion for ourselves and others. It seems like a lot of us are trying to heal, and it’s inspiring to make art with people who are doing the work,”
Whether it’s evident on the surface or not, trauma is a shared experience. If anything, these songs exude sincerity and honesty, and even when tackling tougher topics, they still feel right at home.
At its heart, however, Sundust is a folk-forward album that should certainly appeal to fans of Fleet Foxes, Band of Horses, and Iron & Wine. Whether its the moaning cello found on “Casual;” the nimble picking (and one, breathtaking sour chord) on the jawdropping “Words;” the cascading call and response of “Time Just Falls Apart;” or the singalong na-na-na refrain of LP closer “I Don’t Mind,” you’ll find yourself healing, softening inside, and asking yourself whether or not you can be more tender too.
Sundust is out now. Check out the video for the opening track, “Everything is Everything,” below, or, find all the different ways to listen here.