Old Hannah Brings A New Sound to Folk Music

Old Hannah’s EP, Bright World, is a fresh indie-folk album with four well-composed, distinct acoustic tracks.

Old Hannah combines the musical talents of Boston University grad Alexandra Kalinowski (A.K.) and University of Connecticut’s Tyler Bussey. The two mix their vocals–Tyler’s rough and raw, A.K.’s sweet and classically trained–to create wistful narratives of the past. Instead of lavishly orchestrated album tracks, the duo modestly uses their vocals and guitar accompaniment to allow the listener to dive into the songs’ stories, without getting lost in the distraction of musical embellishment.

Bright World begins with an a cappella intro to, “Wayfaring Stranger,” a traditional folk song that has been covered by prominent musicians like Johnny Cash, Joan Baez, and Neko Case. Four minutes long with lamenting, beckoning vocals, the bluesy song is about a person’s grueling, spiritual journey “over Jordan.” Old Hannah’s rendition features A.K.’s vocals alongside distant drums and light banjo, bringing the song’s lyrics to the forefront and showcasing A.K.’s impressive wide-ranged voice.

oldhannah
Photo by Julian Furtak

The second track on the EP switches the focus to Tyler’s vocals and has A.K.’s voice as a faint but beautiful backing. “Lost at Sea” is a rolling acoustic track that touches on old memories with first-person descriptive imagery. The song ends with a harmonizing, emerging chorus of melodica that follows the last line, “Heavy wind and rain pour on to bury.”

Track three, “When I Die,” is the best track on the album. It’s an faster song with bracing guitars and coasting crescendos. A.K.’s voice is pure and clear as she fearlessly sings about life after death and pours emotion into lyrics. Belting and holding out long vowels, A.K.’s upper-range and technique resemble that of My Brightest Diamond’s Shara Worden. “When I Die” approaches death in the most relaxed and charming way–it might as well be featured on a Disney soundtrack. A.K. holds the listener in suspense before each powerful, naked refrain, “And when I die, I’ll sing you songs.”

Ending the album with the upbeat quick-strum track, “Black Star,” Old Hannah invites listeners to sing along. The song is Old Hannah’s own “traditional” folk song, with group vocals singing key repeated lines over patterned chord progressions. The four-minute track pushes forward with verse after verse about time, stallions, apples, and the song’s central focus–a “black star.” The track ends Bright World on a positive, optimistic note, teasing the reader of projects to come.

Check out Old Hannah at http://www.myspace.com/godownoldhannah.

About Jennifer Brown

Jennifer Brown (COM '10) is a music writer for the Quad. She started working with national indie music acts and booking shows/interviews during her sophomore year of high school at Penn State's WKPS. She then traveled to Germany and explored the techno/HAUS scene and her love for all-things German. After that she worked at WKPS some more before finding her "home" at Boston University where she was a music director at WTBU. She has since added to her resume Pirate Promotion and Management, On A Friday, and the Cambridge Chronicle. Jen is now in Germany, taking some classes and booking shows.

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