ALBUM REVIEW: Nectar Valley's "Self-Titled Album”
“Nectar Valley”
By Nectar Valley
As reviewed by Allen Fennewald
Nectar Valley is sweet to the ears and savory to the heart.
In their debut self-titled album, these Kentucky boys will take you to the heights of joy and the dredges of sorrow, then back around again.
Stomp and dance to the music or sit back and take in the depth of their lyrics. Anyhow, it’s a beautiful body of work, and I’m excited for what we can expect on their next album.
In many ways, this is a coming-of-age story. A lot of these songs came together while they were at the formative age of 19, when dreams and reality collide. Their strings reverberate with optimism and remorse. They sing of lost love, family strife and the drive to keep pushing forward.
“A lot of this album has to do with moving forward from the past,” said mandolinist Landon Kotarek. “There’s a vibe of looking back on those experiences and realizing a lot of personal growth has come from them.”
That drive could take them far in this world. For now, they’re stoked to be progressing as a band and having fun with fans.
“It has been really nice hearing people sing along at our shows,” Landon said.
Nectar Valley is in step with a new generation of pickers like Billy Strings, adding youthful vibrancy to that old-timey sound. They’re inspired by legendary artists like Bill Monroe and Earl Scruggs, as well as more recent acts like Yonder Mountain String Band.
Landon began playing music after his first bluegrass festival not all that long ago. That wellspring is evident even when they go psychedelic.
The chorus of the album’s first song, aptly named “Kentucky” lays out how they feel about their home plain and simple.
There ain’t no where in this world like Kentucky
Trust me man, I’ve been everywhere
There ain’t nothing in this world I gotta see
I can see it all right here from my chair
This stomping string jam gives each member the opportunity to lay out their instrumental flare. The happy, grassy little number brings the moonshiner’s spirit of “Foggy Mountain Breakdown”. Tristan Boswell solos on six string and dobro for a jumping tradeoff that you can only hear on this album.
From L-R: Landan Kotarek (mandolin), Austin Quinton (banjo), Tristan Howard (guitar), Cole Boswell (bass)
If the police come, I hope they brought their dancin’ shoes
We’ll be up here pickin’ all damn night
The band came together just a few years ago, but their sound has developed a lot since then. And some of their earliest songs have grown along with them. These 10 tracks are their favorite of the roughly 30 they’ve written together.
“Kentucky” is expectedly grassy. But songs like “Lay Me Down” take on a dark swing that reminds me of a folksy “House of the Rising Sun” while “Liza” evokes the storytelling elements of classic country with a swashbuckling swagger and psychedelic instrumental breaks.
“It’s great after three years of writing music, some songs even being that old, to finally put it on a record,” Landon said.
The second track, “This House Is Not a Home”, takes on a shimmering yet somber tone, like morning dew after a stormy night.
I knew one day I’d have to get away from home
I knew one day I’d have to get away from her
There’s only one way, but I don’t know where to go
Things had to change, that house was not a home
“When writing we definitely use it as an outlet for expressing the way that we have felt at a certain point in life,” Landon said. “‘This House is Not a Home’ and ‘It Must Be Nice’ are about our experiences with heartbreak with former partners.”
Nectar Valley performing at Sugar Creek 4th of July Bash in Cave-In-Rock, IL on 7.4.21
“The Loser Wins” also carries heavy themes. Banjoist Austin Quinton wrote the song more than seven years ago about the complicated relationship with his father. He didn’t intend to put the song on the album, but the rest of the band knew it had to go on after they heard him casually playing it one day.
“The song was written years before with a different band he was playing with at the time,” Landon said. “It's also a very emotional song for him to play as it was written about one of the biggest barriers he had to experience in his life. After the rest of the band expressed how much we loved it, we convinced him to put it in the album and even sing it live from time to time.”
Went to Chicago with a dream
Making music with your strings
I can hear you from miles away
I like the sound, so I’ve got to say
I approve of what you’re doing up there
People worry but I don’t care
You made it your own
These streets are your home
You wear it on your body
You made it more than just a hobby
It’s your life
Who am I to tell you what to do
You’re happier than you have ever been
You’re a loser but you win in the end
Tristan caps the first verse with a moving solo that feels energetic yet sad. It’s followed by a chirping mando solo that seems to console the guitar and say, it’s all right, as the music gets brighter toward the break.
“Something in the Water'' ends the album with a good down-home romp, complete with a round of solos. The rest of the band breaks out for standbassist Cole Bosewell to put in some licks before they round things out.
There must be something in the water
It should’a killed me but I’m smarter than that
There must be something in the water
Flowin’ right outta the tap
T. Howard (guitar) + A. Quinton (banjo) in studio
“Nectar Valley” was recorded in two 12-hour sessions at The Sneak Attack Recording Co. in Lexington, Kentucky. It went pretty smoothly for their first time in the studio, and they had a lot of fun in the process.
Now, they’re ready to keep the good times rolling by taking the songs on the road at upcoming festivals. They’ll also be preparing to return to the studio for their sophomore album — or maybe they’ll do it live and really kick out the jams.
“We are really excited to keep developing this sound and really pack a punch for our next album,” Landon said. “We really think that a live album will capture our sounds with more accuracy since we can get more of the jams in there.”
Be ready for more from Nectar Valley. If you’re traveling through the midwest during season, these Kentucky boys are sure to be close by but make sure to check out their full show schedule for all show dates!
Nectar Valley’s self-titled release on Spotify (+ more) on 1.14.2022