The Cumberland River Project, helmed by late-blooming musician Frank Renfordt, brings persistence to the forefront with Meet Me In The Rain. Having stepped into songwriting later in life, Renfordt leans into memory and experience, bringing the best of country, Americana, and folk with his sensitive sincerity. Playing nearly everything himself, acoustic and baritone guitars, bass, mandolin, keys, and even programming drums, he builds a personal soundscape, while collaborators like Jessie Morgan (harmonies and fiddle), Neemias Teixeira (piano), and Aaron Fabbrini (pedal steel) bring their own magic. This creates a reflective, often romantic, sometimes melancholic collection that feels like flipping through a well-worn journal.
โTurntable,โ with its more than 2k plays, opens the album, Meet Me In The Rain, with strumming guitars and warm melodies. Frank sings gently, warmly, introspectively, and reflectively. You will hear the heart of the record in the line, โNo, I canโt say I am doing badly, but soon you will come meet me in the rain.โ Then you will hear the female harmonies of Jessie Morgan singing alongside Frank, bringing so much soul and softness to the music. Itโs all about persevering through life and trying to take it easy. The โTurntableโ may signify the gentleness and harmony in life.
โI Want You Backโ comes swinging in with mesmerizing fiddle lines writhing with piercing resonance, while guitars strum and sparkle. Frank sings with such passion and catch, the mood not only warms your heart, it also makes you sing along. The lines are relatable and funny, while also being very sweet.
Coming in fifth is โLeave-me-Town,โ with soft, nostalgic, and warm gleams of the guitar and the town you left behind. It might as well make you tear up, especially as Frank brings up the vivid imagery of river bends, mountains, and the local bars, memories, such and such, that it โhurtsโ to turn your back on. Meanwhile, the soft, breathy vocals of Morgan bring a wistful sensitivity to the melancholic push to move on.
Listen to Meet Me In The Rain by The Cumberland River Project on Spotify.
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Review by: Naomi Joan