A Curious Nature : The Foreign Landers “Made to Wonder” Shines

Do you ever hear the first few bars of a song and immediately there is a fluttering in your chest, a tightening of your throat. A palpable sense of emotion and reflection that just makes you feel in a deeper and more significant way. There is something so beautiful in the clean simplicity of acoustic music intertwining with an emotionally bare to the bone nature of the sophomore release from The Foreign Landers that does that to me with each and every listen.

That’s not to say that the music is simple. The arrangements on this record are pensive and intensely orchestrated. But its the fact that you can so easily slip into the experience of these songs that sheds the pretense of the word “arrangement” and feel so comfortable to allow yourself to just be in them. Harmonies that weaken the knees. Voices (both human and instrumental) lifting together in a way that is oft described as “only the way that siblings could sing together”, but I would challenge that sentiment to rewrite itself to “only the way that two folks who genuinely love one another could sing together”. David Benedict and Tabitha Agnew Benedict certainly have that special connection that weaves itself into these songs.

There is a sincerity to the deeply personal stories written here. Inflected with the core band members connection and  partnership shaped by their shared life experiences, including immigration, distance, home, and faith. This latest effort positioning the lens to focus and reflect on themes of time, impermanence, parenthood, and the beauty of everyday life. Writing from a place of truth, accessibility and empathy. Human feelings that we can all relate to.

Songs like “When the Morning Comes” having a drive and a flow that pushes the song along. At moments reminiscent of early Nickelcreek (sorry I know thats an easy, albeit relevant, comparison and a well deserved and respectful one) or Acoustic Syndicate. Meditative layers and sweeping sonic landscapes of sound, that always have a soft approachability to them. Tabitha’s voice, often the anchor and safe harbor that lulls the listener in. Remarkable and delicate in the same breath.

“Wildflowers” pulls the instrumentation back and allows the voices to really take center stage. The flow of words punctuated by brief interludes of melody, but in a sparse fashion of dancing banjo lines and octave mandolin. Visually, I see these two in a field in an foggy Irish countryside around one microphone performing. It’s that transportive nature of a song and music that is so special. Songs and words and melodies that truly take you out of your head and space in bring you somewhere else completely.

“Shoes Off” has a fun and punchy buoyancy with David Benedict taking the lead vocal duties, the fiddle buttressing the melody. “Its just 15 minutes, but I’m sad to be alone…” marking the varied emotion and themes (though pinned down with a killer groove and infectious melody) that the group is exploring here.

I could do a track by track of this record, but I won’t. I feel as though works like this are ones that are made for each individual to create their own interpretation and experience from. “Made to Wonder” is not just one thing. There are many different emotions, themes and feelings to pull back the covers on over the collection of 10 songs. Laced with their obvious influence of Celtic and Bluegrass, but more than the genre that the artists pull from, is the heart and purity injected into the songs that make is such a special record. Beautiful.

The record released on January 23rd. Pre-order it today.