#21 - Gregory Alan Isakov, Gregory Alan Isakov with the Colorado Symphony

Release Year: 2016

Genre: Folk Rock

How much do I like my favorite track on the album? 14.4 points

Big Black Car

The orchestration on this piece is masterful. The building from nothing, slowly adding in all of the orchestra is just lovely. Gregory’s vocals are nuanced, pained, and just lovely to listen to. My favorite vocals in this are Hope was a letter we never could send, love was a country we couldn’t defend. The hope conveys and actually feeling of hope in the way it is sung. It conveys a yearning for love extremely well. 2 “bridges” no chorus? Fine. Sure. Is it happy? Is it sad? Neither? Somewhere in between? Sure. I’ll take it here for 1000, Alex.

How did/does this album influence my own taste in music overall? 11.2 points

No real influence here - too new for that. I will say, this is the album that got me hooked on GAI, and that deserves some special credit.

Does this album hold up since its release? 13.6 points

This is a solid live performance album. There’s a lot of artistry evoked in this that would be hard to capture had it not included the live performance of the Colorado Symphony.

What percentage of the album do I listen to? 7.27 points

The skips score on this could be 10. But sometimes I find myself hitting the button, so I had to knock it down.

What did/do the critics think of this album? 8 points

Critics like Isakov generally speaking, and this is a rare live collaboration album. The 8 is probably a bit arbitrary, but feels fair.

What is the sentimental value to me of the album? 12.8 points

Gregory Alan Isakov lives in Boulder, CO. I live in Boulder, CO. This is a live orchestral album (the only live album on the list). If it were around for longer, this score would be even higher.

What was the artists involvement of the production of the album - songwriting, instrumentals, vocals, uniqueness? 13.6 points

Isakov plays instruments, writes the songs, and produces the music. Most of what sends this album over the top though is the live performance of the Colorado Symphony, which hurts the score.

Overall Rating out of 100 points = 80.9 points

There are many many great tunes on this album. This is essentially a greatest hits entry, and that’s ok. I make the rules after all. I already talked about the imagery in “Big Black Car”, but that choice was closer than I really wanted to call. “Stable Song” is one of my favorite songs of Isakov’s as well, and this version is just stellar - add cello to just about anything and you have got a secret sauce. Remember when our songs were just like prayers? Like gospel hymns that you called in the air. The harmonies chef’s kiss. Anytime the word “ring” is sung in this song too I actually feel bells ringing. “Master and a Hound” and “If I Go, I’m Goin” are some more worth a listen. There’s something incredibly simple and delicate about how Isakov approaches his vocals and instrumentals. It’s warm, inviting, and dreamy. An example of an already excellent artist pairing up with a group that sends this to another place.