The Accidentals formed in Traverse City, Michigan, in 2011 when Savannah Buist and Katie Larson got together for a class orchestra project. The next year, the band released its first album Tangled Red and Blue that explored themes of feminism amidst folk melodies.
The folk melodies remain on the group’s new EP Time Out (Session 1). For the EP, the band wrote songs with Kim Richey, Tom Paxton, Maia Sharp, Dar Williams, Mary Gauthier, and Jaimee Harris. The result is an EP filled with melodies that you wish you could write.
The opening track “Wildfire” has a similarity to Emily Kinney. The melody is centered around the acoustic guitar with swells of strings throughout. The other similarity to Kinney is in the ability to tell a story. The lyrics paint a picture of ivy climbing walls and a sparrow building a nest above the front door.
Acoustic guitar and strings are the focal point of the first two songs. That makes “Might As Well Be Gold” a bit of a change-up. Mind you, this is still a very mellow song with a subdued mood. It does, however bring in some muted drums and an electric guitar part that sounds a lot like the college rock of the 90s.
Each of these songs was written with at least one other artist, but it’s easy to tell that they have some pretty strong songwriting abilities of their own. The melodies and harmonies are well-crafted, and the stories are simply told and vivid. In just five songs, The Accidentals have made a soundtrack for your morning coffee – especially if it’s a rainy morning.
