Bride & Groom

Overall review: 9/10
"Excellent"

If you’re a cynic, this is not the album for you. I’m not a fan of love songs, myself – they tend to be too sad, too sappy, or both at once. This album hits a happy medium. It’s sweet, sometimes bittersweet, but never too much. I even liked the lyrics, which is where a lot of indie folk loses me.

Bride & Groom is an indie folk duo out of Montreal, featuring Jesse Daniel Smith on guitar and vocals, and Kaitlyn Raitz on cello. The combination of guitar and cello works remarkably well, with the cello supporting the sound and the guitar providing the rhythm and melody. The two play well together, with sweet, bright harmonies on the choruses. The Bride & Groom name fits them strikingly well.

“Blackbird in a Cage” is my favourite of the five songs.

"There’s this girl that I know who puts braids in her hair

Her heart’s in the south when there’s frost in the air

She don’t know if she’s staying, she’s destined to leave

But she likes my playing so I want to believe."

The lyrics are lovely, and the song strengthens and swells as it goes along before dropping down again at the last chorus. The dynamic variation works really well with the piece – swelling with hope, fading with doubt.

This is an album to put on when the afternoon sun is bright, and you are relaxing against a tree in the yard, maybe while you’re going through some old memories. It’s sweet like a cold, crisp, autumn apple. Sweet, not cloying. It makes me think of summers past.

Bride & Groom will be playing August 26th at Cafe Resonance in Montreal. I’m hoping they’ll come westward soon so we can get a glimpse of them live. If you have any love for folk, check these two out. Have a listen and relax into the sunlight. Check out their Facebook page here. - Leilah Thiel, Bucketlist Music Reviews

Bride & Groom is a folk duo out of Montreal, Québec whose music is an emotional tug on the old heart strings. Bride & Groom is Jesse Daniel Smith (guitar and vocals) and Kaitlyn Raitz (cello), two talented musicians who have come together to create this five song traditional folk release bearing their collective name. Intelligently composed, each song is an ingenious work of musical art that can be easily be appreciated by anyone who has been in love before.

For instance, the song "Of The Sea" is an awesome display of songwriting that paints a vivid picture of what it's like to wait until it's too late to notice somebody. The vocal performance by Jesse drives home just how emotionally taxing it is to have to live with regrets in life. The music sets a very fitting tone for the kind of message being delivered in the lyrics, and I love the way that Kaitlyn's cello wraps around the acoustic guitars, never leaving an opening for any of the color in the composition to escape. We've all heard someone refer to, "the one that got away," which is why I believe everyone will be able to relate to this song and Bride & Groom.

Bride & Groom, the duo and EP, are the cream of the crop in indie folk music. After listening, I couldn't really find anything I didn't like here, except for the fact that there was nothing festive and upbeat (sound wise). But this doesn't change the fact that this duo has a great project that's definitely worth more than the $3 price tag might suggest. If you're looking for great music in the traditional folk genre, please be sure to check out Bride & Groom's bandcamp site and buy their music to show support for great independent music.
http://brideandgroom.bandcamp.com - Shaine Freeman, IAE Magazine