Reid Parsons - Back to Back
Bee Delores finds complexity in the "architectural folk" of Reid Parsons' exquisite new album Back to Back.
“Architectural folk” is how Reid Parson’s debut album, Back to Back, is described in press materials. When you click play, you know immediately what that means. Parsons dresses up their work with intricate, well-pressed details that provoke the listener to think deeper and longer about their songcraft in a way you may never have before. Brick by brick, the Vermont-based singer-songwriter fits personal lyrics in between each awe-inspiring, high-ceiling arch. Shards of colorful stained glass sparkle as the sunlight pours in, leaving Parsos to bask in the warmth and write about the experience.
That radiance bursts from the outset, with the titular track and fresh opener. "It means I got yours and you got me,” Parsons transmits to the audience. Two souls seem to collide within the decorative, lace trimming they place so perfectly around the edges, demonstrating that “it celebrates the stability and comfort found in our individual strengths and the enduring nature of our bond,” they share in a released statement.
“Back to Back” ignites something within their soul that carries them forth along a gurgling stream of horns–bringing together rushing influences of pop, jazz, and soul/funk. The mix, tracked direct-to-tape via renowned engineer Ben Collette (Phish's Trey Anastasio, Susan Tedeschi, Sharon Jones), is something to behold. Inside Burlington’s iconic Tank Recording Studio, Parsons erects something that’s almost baptismal, as you’ll hear with the organ-bound “Get Out of Bed."
“Lightbulb” rings more traditionally inspired, as strings moan as ghosts in the background, as their own essential characters, while the forlorn “Heavy Load” is a slice of inner turmoil. “Show Me You Love Me” emerges as a vocal centerpiece with Parsons scatting over the melody as confidently as they’ve ever sounded. It’s with these little details that flesh out Back to Back into a musical force, allowing them to show the entire scope of their talents and touchpoints. Connor Young appears on the acoustic-based “Figure It Out,” and “Same Old” aches with a country music glimmer.
Throughout Back to Back, Reid Parsons weaves to and fro, hopping between styles without blinking. Their influences are so rooted in their soul that it all feels natural. “I strive to write from a place of simplicity. I want to leave space for interpretation, to build a room for others to process, to emote, to have their own experiences in,” they note. Every song opens up its seams to allow the listener to slide into them, parsing the meanings from each layer that welcomes them. By the time the finale rolls around on “Where Are You Now,” they expose self-doubt and unavoidable fault lines that ripple throughout their life. “I’m just a little loose / All these washboards are shaking out some screws,” they sing.
Reid Parsons needles equal fabrics of pain and joy throughout Back to Back. It’s all part of the human experience, and this is theirs–fully on display for all to partake. If this is just the beginning, the storyteller has a bright future sweeping out in front of them.
