vincent cross

Songwriter Vincent Cross was a mainstay of the late, lamented Banjo Jim’s Americana music scene, but he’s hardly been idle since that club shut its doors. His previous album Home Away from Home was a pretty straight-up, purist bluegrass collection; his new one A Town Called Normal is a lot more eclectic, a mix of rustic acoustic Americana with a bit of folk-rock and traditional sounds from across the pond. Most of the album is streaming at various places, including Cross’ site and his myspace page. Cross sings with an unaffected, easygoing twang, plays guitars, mandolin and harmonica and has an excellent band behind him, incorporating the talents of various combinations of Bennett Sullivan and Doug Nicolaisen on banjos; Max Johnson, Allen Cohen and Larry Cook on bass; Mark Farrell on mandolin and Shane Kerwin on drums on a few tracks.

Several of the songs sound like they could be Appalachian standards…except that they’re originals. One of the richest sounding of these is Cursed, with its lusciously intermingled layers of banjo, mandolin and acoustic guitar. Cross has a way with aphoristic oldtime vernacular: “How can we distinguish the evil from the good? The chorus always should,” he observes on the title cut. Likewise, the metaphorically-charged cautionary tale Turn Your Eyes: “Warning bells from the mizzzen mast, don’t go down with the crew and cast.” And Childish Things – a catchy, swinging bluegrass-tinged original, not the James McMurtry hit – muses that “nobody knows why the caged bird sings til you put away your childish things.”

My Love starts out quietly and then builds to a neat series of tradeoffs between Cross’ harmonica and nimble guitar flatpicking. Old Christmas Wrapping, a bittersweet waltz, goes into down-and-out Tom Waits territory, but less pessimistically. Walking on the Outside sounds suspiciously like an acoustic version of Son Volt’s Tearstained Eye, with a soulful dobro solo. Sometimes builds up to a brooding, hypnotic two-chord jam, while Trouble Being There evokes Matt Keating with its wry surrealism and gentle folk-rock melody.

There’s also Footnotes, a brooding polyrhythmic miniature; Wrack and Ruin, which takes a stab at honkytonk; and a nicely syncopated take of the traditional folk song Cuckoo, “who never hollers ‘cuckoo’ til the 4th day of July.” How’s that for symbolism?
- New York Music Daily

I am not really sure how to classify Vincent Cross’s music. It has definite bluegrass roots in its instrumentation, but also hints of folk and country. Perhaps, “new-grass” is a better term when attempting to narrow it down. His vocal has a mild twang, that isn’t overbearing and suits the music very well. In my head, I hear nuances of Robert Earl Keen mixed with a bit of Bob Dylan (but perhaps, it’s just being a roots/folk artist that does that) and a touch of Michael Daves high and lonesome on the top. The songs are driven by strong chorus lines with nice hooks, lending them to be crowd pleasers simply after hearing one choral run through.

“Turn Your Eyes” is one of my favorites from the album. It kicks in pretty upbeat and hard with the chorus right off the bat and eases into the verse, to be brought back up again. I really like the flow of up and down that the song brings and the instrumentation is excellent. A nice banjo line, smooth and typical bluegrass guitar, a hint of mandolin chop, and a strong rhythm thump from the upright bass. This tune brings me to summer bluegrass festivals, people dancing out on the grass and just having a good old time. The lyrics are good and strong, easy to hang on to. Cross is able to address and almost hide a somewhat solemn theme within a buoyant and upbeat vessel, a feat that is certainly respectable.

Turn your eyes from the burning sun / she's not what your looking for
she's just brazen just for fun / you know that it's not enough

It’s nice to see someone who appreciates the traditional songs of folk and bluegrass as represented in the inclusion of “The Cuckoo” on this record (though there is dispute on whether its origins are English or American). The songs is very banjo driven with some nice frails and picking throughout the track. It also has a nice breakdown/jam section at the end of the tune that really excites me to hear. A lot of the players in the Americana genre these days have hopped up on the bandwagon without paying homage and respect to what came before them. It is obvious through Cross’s writing style and arrangement choices, that the past is not lost on him.
As a complete work, the instrumentation on this album is impeccable. I may be a bit bias, as its exactly what I love to listen to regardless, but you cannot deny that all the playing is solid and the mix is great. It has hints of the old roots tunes of American, backporch pickin’, but perhaps a bit more contemporary in its presentation. Simply put, it just works. All backed by Cross’s songwriting and powerful and unique vocal, it makes for a great listen and strengthens my belief that roots music is still alive and well in the Northeast. - Redline Roots Blog

I am not really sure how to classify Vincent Cross’s music. It has definite bluegrass roots in its instrumentation, but also hints of folk and country. Perhaps, “new-grass” is a better term when attempting to narrow it down. His vocal has a mild twang, that isn’t overbearing and suits the music very well. In my head, I hear nuances of Robert Earl Keen mixed with a bit of Bob Dylan (but perhaps, it’s just being a roots/folk artist that does that) and a touch of Michael Daves high and lonesome on the top. The songs are driven by strong chorus lines with nice hooks, lending them to be crowd pleasers simply after hearing one choral run through.

“Turn Your Eyes” is one of my favorites from the album. It kicks in pretty upbeat and hard with the chorus right off the bat and eases into the verse, to be brought back up again. I really like the flow of up and down that the song brings and the instrumentation is excellent. A nice banjo line, smooth and typical bluegrass guitar, a hint of mandolin chop, and a strong rhythm thump from the upright bass. This tune brings me to summer bluegrass festivals, people dancing out on the grass and just having a good old time. The lyrics are good and strong, easy to hang on to. Cross is able to address and almost hide a somewhat solemn theme within a buoyant and upbeat vessel, a feat that is certainly respectable.

Turn your eyes from the burning sun / she's not what your looking for
she's just brazen just for fun / you know that it's not enough

It’s nice to see someone who appreciates the traditional songs of folk and bluegrass as represented in the inclusion of “The Cuckoo” on this record (though there is dispute on whether its origins are English or American). The songs is very banjo driven with some nice frails and picking throughout the track. It also has a nice breakdown/jam section at the end of the tune that really excites me to hear. A lot of the players in the Americana genre these days have hopped up on the bandwagon without paying homage and respect to what came before them. It is obvious through Cross’s writing style and arrangement choices, that the past is not lost on him.
As a complete work, the instrumentation on this album is impeccable. I may be a bit bias, as its exactly what I love to listen to regardless, but you cannot deny that all the playing is solid and the mix is great. It has hints of the old roots tunes of American, backporch pickin’, but perhaps a bit more contemporary in its presentation. Simply put, it just works. All backed by Cross’s songwriting and powerful and unique vocal, it makes for a great listen and strengthens my belief that roots music is still alive and well in the Northeast. - Redline Roots Blog

"A good 90 percent of the indie albums we receive for review come from agents that have only indie clients. SoundStage! Network writers recommend about five to seven percent. Then about two to three percent come from the artists themselves. A Town Called Normal is one of the latter. That's sort of ironic, because it sounds like it could have been recorded in West Virginia, where I live.

Imagine my surprise, then, to find that Vincent Cross is an Irishman born in Dublin, raised in Australia, and now residing in New York City. He has a super voice that sometimes reminds me of early acoustic Neil Young and other times Robert Earl Keen, with just enough twang to spike things up without becoming annoying. Cross can also produce a fine high-and-lonesome sound when he chooses.

The backup band contains banjos, and Cross himself switches from guitar to mandolin. That's the right instrumentation for a bluegrass band, but then Cross throws in some folksy harmonica, and there are drums on three cuts. I think newgrass might be the best way to describe Cross's music, which combines bluegrass, folk, folk rock, and other influences into a very satisfying whole.

All of the songs on the disc are originals except for "The Cuckoo," which is traditional. Things get off to a good start with the title song, which is followed by the most bluegrass-like cut, "Cursed." The latter sounds like it's from Bill Monroe country, and it features antiphonal banjos to splendid effect. The rest of the album is more eclectic, but it all makes sense and is a very comfortable listen.

As happy as I am with Cross and his band, I'm less enthused about the recorded sound, which is warm to the point of being close to muddy. The banjos rise out of the soup, but the drums never do and the upright bass is not pointed enough. The bass is loud, though, so be careful at setting the volume when you start the first track.

I'm happy to have discovered Vincent Cross, and I have the artist himself to thank. He writes eclectic tunes with good hooks and surrounds himself with instrumentalists that are as good as he is. Cross is definitely worth a listen, and I'll be interested in seeing what he comes up with next.

Be sure to listen to: The second chorus of "Turn Your Eyes" has bowed upright bass in unison with the vocal. It's a sound I'd never heard before in such a rapidly developing song, but it's quite effective." - SoundStage: Rad Bennett

HOME AWAY FROM HOME

Vincent Cross & Good Company


Review By Teri Ann McLean



Vincent Cross has put together an eclectic mix of original songs on his album, “Home Away From Home,” a fitting title for this outstanding guitar and mandolin player. Cross, who hails from Ireland but makes his home in the New York City area, manages to sound like he is straight out of the Appalachian mountains.

The album gets off to a strong start with “Guess I’m Doin’ Fine,” an upbeat number
despite a typically-sad story of lost love. Throughout the album, Vincent Cross displays an innate skill with his vocal interpretation of a song. On the title cut, his voice is somewhat reminiscent of Chris Thile, while on “Grandma’s Home Brew” I think Cross sounds a bit like Bob Dylan. It seems Cross has the uncanny ability to sound like anyone he chooses, but, truly, Cross’ style is all his own.

This album is reflective of the true versatility of Cross’ musical prowess. Joining him on the album is Andy Cartoun, a well-respected banjo player in the New York area who does not disappoint in giving listeners the drive one looks for on a bluegrass album. Bruno Bruzzese is a virtuoso on the violin, coming from a background of a wide range of musical styles, most notably Middle Eastern music. His fiddle playing accurately portrays the emotion behind the song and his deftness on the instrument is prominent throughout this fine album. If you like the sound of the mountains, this album is for you.


~Teri Ann McLean, Mar 2009

Host of “Something Borrowed; Something Bluegrass”
The Bluegrass Mix


- Bluegrass Mix, New York

Home away Home:

“Home Away from Home” is the recording debut of Vincent Cross (guitar, mandolin, and vocals) and his band Good Company. The dozen selections were penned by Vincent and carried off in hard-driving bluegrass style. Some of the more interesting titles include “Sensitize,” “Minus Love,” and “Out of My Head.” For the first time out, “Home Away from Home” is a successful endeavor, and hopefully there will be other projects to follow.”
--Bluegrass Unlimited, 2009

“Solid bluegrass debut….He is blessed with a versatile voice which can ably evoke that high lonesome sound, whilst deepening its nuance for the more mellow numbers in which respect he is quite reminiscent of Tim O’Brien.”

--Kai Roberts: Americana-UK: England

- Americana UK

AUGUST 4, 2010
Vincent Cross and Good Company
Home Away From Home
BY JESSICA STILES

There’s peace in the belly of the beast and I Need a place to call my own… Home Away from Home.

I came across the notion of a ‘heart home’ recently in a fictional work by Charles De Lint. Someplace where a body feels at home, and can return to again and again – travel to in dream.

The tradition of mountain music from the Appalachian region of the United States, and its flowering branches of Bluegrass, draw on recurring themes of longing for home. A desire to return to the times, values and practices of days gone by, with an appreciation for one’s parents, in particular, that unfortunately comes only with distance and through the lens of absence.

A title of Home Away from Home for the debut album from Vincent Cross & Good Company immediately evokes these notions of belonging and exile. For Cross, born and later raised in Ireland with a spell in Australia, now a New York resident with his wife and band, to come out with original material like this which doesn’t at first glance relate to his place of origin (but rather to the mountain traditions of the American Southeast), brings to mind a different sense of placing oneself within a tradition. Rather than be defined regionally, to have a community of choice. One’s musical ‘heart home’, as it were, to which one can return again and again.

Meanwhile, the English and Celtic ballads which originally came across the pond to Appalachia form the melodic soul of the region’s musical identity. Cross’s singing style which encompasses Bluegrass lead (and high tenor parts) with a more modern Americana subject base gives him and his band great appeal. This is what we in Nashville like to call, Real Music. Slainte, Vincent and good on you.


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- Brooklyn Country Music

“{A Town Called Normal, is} a cut above the usual run of singer-songwriters, New Yorker Cross sets his material in traditional arrangements and to traditional-like melodies even as his lyrics express an observant modern sensibility. Good stuff, not the least of it is a happily restorative reading of the otherwise exhausted Cuckoo. Someone to watch, maybe.” - fRoots Magazine (UK)