[rating=3.50]
If her muse is a reflection leading towards her inner self, then Sarah Jarosz is an artist who has found her voice and fully brought it into life. A young talent in the country/bluegrass/folk community, Jarosz, multi-instrumentalist singer-songwriter, has recently stepped forward with her second release on Sugar Hill Records entitled, Follow Me Down. A record that showcases instrumentals and pure vocals appropriately in their respective settings, her voice seems more outspoken within the verses of the tracks. Flanked with a setup that features the likes of Bela Fleck, Jerry Douglas and Viktor Krauss (Alison Krauss’ brother), Jarosz controls the synergy between the musical variables equally. On “Run Away,” a finger picked opening riff sets the track in its traveling direction. A subtle cymbal roll eases into a harmonized pre-chorus as the song begins to build deeper in the verse.
Throughout the record, Jarosz’s voice seems almost as if it is an open sound coming from the confines of darkness. The rhythm section and use of percussion take on a train-like type of pace that remain set in the background on tracks like “Annabelle Lee” and “Floating In the Balance” that is consistent but not overshadowing. “She was yellow and gray the colors of the day, a bit too gorgeous and not too much to say,” sings Jarosz, describing the gypsy subject in the track titled, “Gypsy,” an arrangement that features the presence of a swelling accordion. Follow Me Down maintains a linear pace as the record progresses, defining the chapters of the story with Jarosz’s patient vocals intertwined with hollow plucking and weaving strings.
