Singer-songwriter Angela Easterling and her musical and life partner, Brandon Turner, deliver a rich album of eleven originals that run the gamut from parenthood to gun violence to gender identity, and by covering Woody Guthrie’s “Deportee,” immigration issues as well. Easterling is a keen observer as we’ve learned through her two decades of building powerful songs. The album was originally planned for release two years ago but the birth of her third child and COVID were intervening factors. The extra time yielded a few new songs and as Easterling says, “So many of the songs are me looking out at the world and things that are going on, and it feels like I’m a witness to it.” So, that statement speaks to the title, Witness.
Witness opens with the reflective “California,” part nostalgic, part regret over a melancholy backdrop. She stays on the personal side with the dreamy “Home” which is in part an answer to the previous song, and it takes on even more meaning when knowing that she and Turner live on the family farm in Greer, SC that has been part of her family since 1791. She sings it with pure affection. The tempo kicks up with resonator-driven “Little Boy Blues,” a driving blues-infused ditty that ponders what her young child will grow into. Turner’s picking is impressive. She takes on gun violence in “Halfway Down,” a reference to the position of the flags. Her smooth delivery belies the bitterness and anger she feels, so well captured in this verse – “Another man, another gun, American as pie/And nothing ever changes and no one’s asking why/We offer up our thoughts and prayers/we shake our fists and cry/Then go back to our own busy lives”
Bluegrass fuels “Keep Your Head Down, Johnny,” while the lyrics paint a totally dark mood, a bitter tale of abuse. “Middle-Age Dream” lightens things up as Easterling has some witty lines about the balancing act of a touring artist and a doting mother. The title track speaks to being a witness to judgmental behavior and even abuse. The idea is how we as adults try to break free of negative things from our past, some of it pertaining to religion but yet the lingering issues always remain. Her interpretation of Guthrie’s “Deportee,” a devastating song, is refreshing given that the tune is almost always sung by a male – Jimmie LaFave, Steve Earle, and Jimmie Dale Gilmore come to mind. And now that we’re on this subject the definitive version of the song is on the late Nanci Griffith’s Other Voices, Too where the vocalists were a mix of males and females – Griffith, Lucinda Williams, Tish Hinojosa, Steve Earle, John Stewart, and the amazing Odetta. Pardon the digression but it’s worth trying to find that version.
“Hero” is a sweet ode to her man, full of honest, heartfelt emotions. On the other hand, “Have You Seen My Friend?’ seems to be a clever means of describing many of the vital American institutions such as democracy, voting rights, and women’s rights slipping away. The protagonist is struggling with how to describe what used to be to her children. Musically it’s a standout track with a strong melody and rambling piano from Turner.
This deeply personal album reveals a stunning array of emotions. Kudos to Easterling and Turner for varying the music to make even the starkest lyrics go down easy. Easterling sings with honest conviction and the album bears all the necessary ingredients – solid songwriting, top-notch musicianship, and lyrical touches that range from direct to symbolic.
