Melissa Chilinski Self Titled
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ABOUT
(2024)
Melissa Chilinski is a record firmly rooted in a sense of place. Experimental textures, instrumentation, and ambient sounds feel explorational yet familiar like the wild landscapes of Utah. On tracks like “Chirps and Williams,” the earnest sounds of old time Appalachian folk music are met with the lonesome, Western sounds of her dark, rich vocals, pedal steel, and the unusual, brooding twang of her baritone banjo. Her ability to write poetic stories coupled with unique arrangements and melodies is pronounced in her songs: “Blind Miner,” a true story about James LeRoy Newman (‘Roy’), the legendary blind miner of Big Cottonwood Canyon, redefines what a classic country ballad could be; and in “Poor Flowers”, a song that explores the ephemerality of flowers. With this album, Melissa debuts her first full length album of original music, weaving mountain storytelling, banjo, and string band arrangements into a refreshing indie inspired context.
Nathan’s guitar playing can be heard on: Blind Miner, Long Way To Rock Canyon, Slipping Into Seasons, and Cumberland Gap.
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