Albums:Unfinished Houses

From WWR

Esther's debut studio production, Unfinished Houses, encompasses her varied life and musical experiences. It’s unconventional. The dulcimer surprises you, sometimes playing jazzy chord progressions that seem impossible for a non-chromatic 4-stringed instrument. The flute improvs are both lush and spare. Her voice is vivid, pretty, and pronounced. The song content ranges from heartfelt stories to poetic soundscapes to quirky philosophical musings. The CD contains contributions from a variety of musicians including a moving harmony and layered guitars by Karen Savoca and Pete Heitzman on “Keli Mahoney”... a song memorializing a well-loved Talkeetna bush pilot with whom Karen and Pete flew around Denali.

Three unusual cover songs on Unfinished Houses are part of a side-project to learn and spread the music of great independent songwriters whose music is not easily found in regular media outlets. All are artists that Esther discovered via Whole Wheat Radio - Antje Duvekot, Danny Schmidt, and London-based 3 Blind Mice. “It was a thrill to breathe my own interpretation into those songs,” says Esther. “Other artists I admire write so differently from the way I do. That can be freeing, and tremendously fun to arrange.”

The title track was written mid-project. "I wanted to name the album Unfinished Houses because I've now lived in so many of them," says Esther. "My cabin is still pretty rough inside and out, which is common in rural Alaska, actually. I was thinking about it, and it seemed a wonderful metaphor; our very imperfectness is the place from where we shine." [1]

Release date

September 15, 2007

Review

By Josh Cole Published on Thursday, June 19, 2008 9:19 PM AKDT in the Frontiersman

This past weekend, on a whim, I took a little spontaneous trip to Talkeetna with a brilliant artist friend of mine named Danell Yell. It was there I discovered a nearly untapped treasure of local music to be had by a local music junky, such as yours truly. If I had $15 for every local artist I saw on the shelves of the various shops and galleries along the beaten path, I would have had to forego lunch and gas to get us home. So on that day, I chose just one: Esther Golton’s “Unfinished Houses.”

Golton plays a unique stringed instrument not often featured these days in music, regional or otherwise, known as the mountain dulcimer It kind of looks like a cross between a violin and a very small acoustic guitar, though it has a long, thin shape with two holes on either side of the strings. In this case, the holes are in the shape of hearts, much like Golton’s music, which is full of heart. The instrument is either strummed or picked, making a rich and distinct sound all its own.

Golton’s vocals are silky smooth, precise and winsome, especially when accompanied by other voices. She has a fluency to her words that allow the listener to decipher every syllable uttered.

Golton has a way of telling her stories that make you feel as if you shared with her in her experiences personally.

In “Going to Shadow,” she sings, “We’re hiding in the bushes, not breathing, but we’re very much alive. Shadu’s gone back to grazing as the car pulls out the drive. We’re giggling at the sky.”

Golton writes some of the catchiest choruses I’ve ever heard, with these fantastic harmonies quite reminiscent of Crosby, Stills and Nash.

In “The Hoe-down Philosopher,” the chorus is immediately imprinted in my mind like it was something I’ve heard before in a dream and now I realize that I am no longer dreaming, because this enchanting sound is for real. The chorus resonates with “Nobody promised us crystalline clarity. Nobody modeled us simple sincerity. There’s only one murky conclusion that I can see, life must be filtered.”

Golton’s music has such a rich vibe about it, the kind of sound that sends chills down my spine, because it is like I’ve discovered a secret that the rest of the world will soon find out about.

So in the meantime, I will savor in the idea that I found her first.

To give this fantastic artist a listen, stop by fabulous Talkeetna and it won’t take you long to find her.

Listener comments about Unfinished Houses

This is a fantastic album. Superb arrangements, high production value, beautiful song writing, excellent cover choices, and Esther's clear voice make this a very strong debut studio production. Kelli (talk) 08:07, March 21, 2008 (AKDT)

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