2013-10-31
Tristen's Caves is the sound of conventions being defied. The label of "Nashville-based female singer-songwriter" is one that is unfortunately and heavily stereotyped, and if this is the common pigeonholing of acoustic, whiskey-tinged tales of lost love and wistful remembrance of something referred to as the "good ol' days," Tristen represents, well, none of these things. Right off the bat with single and album opener "No One's Gonna Know," the drums are punchy, poppy and driving, the music is upbeat, bright and painstakingly shiny. But beyond the typical pop schema, the lyrics are written with a sense of ruthless independence and severe honesty (chorus: "The only way to climb to the top/is stepping on heads/you're better off dead/you were always worth killing/just a runner for the show/and no one's gonna know.") Tristen Gaspadarek is not a gal to be trifled with.
THE BIRD AND THE BEE
The Bird and The Bee
ROBERT POLLARD
From a Compound Eye
MELISSA RUTH & THE LIKELY STORIES
Ain't No Whiskey
Hush Lane
What Becomes of Us
THE DECEMBERISTS
The Crane Wife
Kevin B. Klein
Good Day To Be Alive
The opinions expressed in these reviews are those of the individual volunteers that submitted the article and do not necessarily reflect the views of WYCE or GRCMC; nor its staff, donors, or affiliates.