Keen Garrity

The heart of Americana, beyond any aesthetic sonic quality, is perhaps its storytelling nature. The style evolved from the tradition of passing down tales of dustups and scandals, robberies and murders. The story of life as America came of age and filled out to the west. It was a platform for legends until it became co-opted by the confessional singer-songwriter ethos that appropriated the homey, country-western sound.

Tennessee native, Toledo-based songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Keen Garrity carries that storytelling tradition forward on her debut album Get Big. She hits on many of the touchstones of the Americana sound: shuffle beats, slide guitars, cattle-rustling chords. However, she is not beholden to the constraints of the genre. There are gypsy melodies, searing electric guitar leads provided by Will Malone, and modern production techniques that are often eschewed by those trying to nail the superficial artifice of the genre as “old-timey”. Get Big is an expectation-breaker of an album. Your impressions are constantly evolving as her storytelling methods shift and adapt. It all makes for an incredibly compelling set of stories. There is a remarkable depth for a debut album, though Garrity is no stranger to the industry with her tenure in an indie progressive rock band as well as an extensive musical family lineage.

'Shotgun' kicks things off, introducing Garrity's deeply expositional style of singing. Focussing on conveying details over repetitive, pop-style lyricism. The music has a simple upbeat new country vibe with a modern production underlying it. The opener is possibly the least interesting track as the music develops layers of mystique going forward. 'Casting You Out' hangs on woozy spaghetti western guitar and a plodding drum line. Garrity deals with the attraction to a bad influence. 'Walkabout/Stroll On' sits on a slick moving bass line as Garrity enunciates in her trademark matter-of-fact vocal delivery. Eerie keys and fuzzy guitar enhance the intriguing mood further.

The title track dives right into classic cowboy croon with a new sheriff in town shuffle and dusty church organ. A tune of rough and tumble lessons to a demure young thing to help her survive the sordid world. 'What You Put In It' turns to an eastern gypsy modality yet still manages to maintain the flow of the album without notice. A quirky tangent that gives the album another layer of depth.

Get Big holds true to the storytelling side of Americana while working freely enough to shirk from the style's shackles whenever it suits. Old legends with a modern flare.