Viridian (album)

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Viridian
Viridian cover
Studio album by The Greencards
Released March 6, 2007
Recorded Nashville, Tennessee
Genre Newgrass
Label Dualtone Records
Professional reviews
The Greencards chronology
Weather and Water
(2005)		 Viridian
(2007)

Viridian is a Grammy nominated 2007 studio album by the Austin, Texas bluegrass band The Greencards. Their third Dualtone Records studio album, it was released on March 6, 2007. In 2007, The Greencards were joined by Matt Wingate, a guitarist from Alabama, for their work on Viridian.[1] On their previous albums, The Greencards had individually recorded their separate musical tracks in isolation booths of recording studios, but for Viridian, recorded their album together in real time in an open room, which was said to be a factor in a spontaneous feel for some of the album.[2] Most of the songs on Viridian are sung by Young, and all of the tracks on Viridian were written by The Greencards, with the exception of "Travel On", which was penned by Kim Richey of Nashville.[3][4] Their sound, through Viridian, was likened to the Canadian alternative country band The Duhks.[3] After its release, Viridian claimed the #1 position on Billboard Magazine's Bluegrass Music Chart.[5] The Greencards are the first international musical act to ever reach #1 on the Bluegrass Music Chart.[6]

The recordings on Viridian, in particular the songs "River of Sand", "Waiting on the Night" and "When I Was in Love With You," were said to evoke the sounds of progressive folk rock that emerged in the 1960s.[1] The progressive nature of The Greencards' bluegrass sound has been compared to Nickel Creek and Alison Krauss & Union Station's own musical work to expand bluegrass.[7] The lyrics on "When I Was in Love With You" were cited as among the most striking on Viridian, and were based in part by McLoughlin on an 1896 poem, "A Shropshire Lad", by Alfred Edward Housman, the English poet.[8] The song was described as a "Pogues-like romp."[4] In a review of Viridian, Embo Blake of Hybrid Magazine noted Carol Young's vocal skill, as she "effortlessly diphthongs cadence" on the track "Waiting On The Night".[9]According to ABC News in Dallas/Fort Worth, the album has a traditional bluegrass core, with a worldly flavor.[7] Doug Lancio, a producer who had previously worked with Patty Griffin, was said to have been a positive factor in the success of Viridian. Prior to the 2007 album, Lancio had not previously worked with The Greencards.[10] Bruce Elder of the Sydney Morning Herald called Viridian a tour de force.[11]

In December 2007, it was announced that their song "Mucky the Duck" from Viridian was nominated for the Grammy Award for Best Country Instrumental Performance at the 50th Grammy Awards, but ultimately lost to Brad Paisley's "Throttleneck." Written by Warner, the song was inspired by one of the band's favorite Austin musical venues, The Mucky Duck.[12] Eamon McLoughlin is a regular blogger for Country Music Television.[13] After the Grammy Awards, he wrote about the band's experience at the event.[14]

In the wake of Viridian, The Greencards have been internationally referred to as one of the most popular Americana musical acts in the United States.[2] Bruce Elder went on to say that the band may after this album be the best country music performers to ever come out of Australia.[11]

[edit] References

  1. ^ a b Buzz McClain (2007). Greencards: Bluegrass With Varied Accents. The Washington Post. Retrieved on 2008-06-01.
  2. ^ a b Waiting On The Night. OZtrax, ABC (2007). Retrieved on 2008-06-01.
  3. ^ a b Jim Moulton (2007). The Greencards - Viridian. Country Stars Online. Retrieved on 2008-06-01.
  4. ^ a b Geoffrey Himes (2007). THE GREENCARDS "Viridian" Dualtone. The Washington Post. Retrieved on 2008-06-01.
  5. ^ Tom Mayer (2007). The Greencards blend bluegrass, country and pop in Bayboro. Sun Journal. Retrieved on 2008-06-01.
  6. ^ Richard O Jones (2007). Bluegrass chart toppers perform at Southgate House. Middletown Journal. Retrieved on 2008-06-01.
  7. ^ a b Mario Tarradell (2007). The Greencards. WFAA Dallas-Forth Worth. Retrieved on 2008-06-01.
  8. ^ Naila Francis. "The Greencards' musical meanderings tend to influences from far and wide, with an eye always toward tradition.", The Philadelphia Intelligencer, August 16, 2007. Retrieved on 2008-06-08. 
  9. ^ Embo Blake (2007). The Greencards Viridian. Hybrid Magazine. Retrieved on 2008-06-08.
  10. ^ Scott Iwasaki (2007). Greencards drawn to American roots music. Deseret News. Retrieved on 2008-06-01.
  11. ^ a b Bruce Elder (2007). Viridian. Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved on 2008-06-08.
  12. ^ Keith Ryan Cartwright (2008). International musicians unite with ‘Greencards'. The Post and Courier. Retrieved on 2008-06-01.
  13. ^ Country Music Blog: Eamon McLoughlin. Country Music Television (2008). Retrieved on 2008-06-01.
  14. ^ Eamon McLoughlin (2008). Grammy Nomination Raises the Bar. Country Music Television. Retrieved on 2008-06-01.

[edit] External links

v • d • e
The Greencards
Members
Carol Young • Kym Warner • Eamon McLoughlin • Matt Wingate
Studio albums
Movin' On • Weather and Water • Viridian