by Abbie Duquette
Little Busy’s newest album So They Grew gives life to nostalgia. Maggie Kraus is nothing but poetic, with an innate talent for storytelling. Beautiful, soft, strong — even the most heart-wrenching of outcomes have a glimmer of resolve through Kraus’ lens.
The album starts with a song familiar to those die-hard Kraus fans, “Berwyn.” With a fresh title, this song gives return-listeners a reference point, and newcomers a baseline, setting the album in time and place. These are the obvious moments of nostalgia (references to places, people) but what is truly special is the electric guitar. Why is an electric guitar worth noting? It references Kraus’ childhood, their roots, their start as a basement musician. While high-school Kraus may have rocked a much dirtier sound, this electric guitar has smooth, even gentle distortion. (Gentle = Kraus’ superpower.) Used throughout the album, it anchors us in Kraus’ musical inspirations (think Grateful Dead) delivering strong “rock’n’roll” moments intertwined with softer folk ballads—a departure from Kraus’ folk singer/songwriter career and an intentional step into Americana.
One of the best and most unique aspects of Kraus’ artistry is their commitment to the presentation of the album as a whole, so it was no surprise when Kraus released So Thew Grew on a Wednesday (October 9, 2019, Kraus’ birthday) and listed every musician (16 total!!) who contributed to the album as a performer on the tracks. Being listed as a performer on a track is very different than referenced in the liner notes. Hired studio musicians’ names never see the light of day in the digital world. (The only way to see who played on the album is to purchase a physical copy.) Kraus completely threw that out. This speaks to Kraus’ character and collaborative spirit, and truly cements the importance and significance of having each musician on the record. You can physically see the time, energy and love that went into this album and by listing everyone as performers, gives importance to each contribution, and thus gives power to the project as a whole. And to feed your curiosity, here's the entire cast of characters: Sean Croteau on drums and percussion; Mark Dann on upright bass; Corey Lalime on electric bass; Emily Duncan Wilson on clarinet; Colby Maddox on fiddle and mandolin; Andrew Oedel on electric guitar, mixing and tracking; Erin Gernon, Kayla Ginsburg, Marisa Hall, Hannah Hickok, Avra Shapiro, Rose Silverman, Brittany Ann Tranbaugh, Ruby Western, Mara Wolkoff, and Leah Parker Bernstein on vocals.
So They Grew speaks to the past, cherishes the present and awaits the future. It’s fitting that the final reference of nostalgia is the last line of the entire album, “I finally decided to let go.” A farewell, a tip-of-the-hat, a goodbye. How else would you end an album packed to the brim with raw emotion and personal history intricately intertwined? Kraus gave a nod to their past and invited the listener to join them in letting go. A fitting end.
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