With a foundation in bluegrass and its Celtic roots, Sarah Jarosz's songs weave through landscapes which include American folk and even jazz. Still, on her album Follow Me Down, her sound stakes a very contemporary space.
While I like the her latest studio offering, her live performances with Nathaniel Smith on cello and Alex Hargreaves on violin surpass the recordings. I admit I have a preference for stripped-down accompaniment; less production often means more power. This is no different for Sarah. Her vocals and music ranges so dynamically live that the recorded performance sound a little compressed and flat in comparison. I believe this is particularly true for Sarah's voice. Though, don't mistake my criticism, Follow Me Down has been a nice addition to my music collection.
However, if you can catch her live, do. I'd have had the pleasure of hearing her perform twice, once in June last year and then recently this past Sunday. The June show was at Music City Roots and a recording of the show can be found in their Livestream archives. The show also has the songs individually posted on YouTube. Songs like "Come Around", "Tell Me True", and the instrumental "Old Smitty" are all great numbers to check.
Nathaniel is amazing on cello, while Alex holds his own on violin. Oh...and by the way, Sarah can play too—guitar, mandolin, and banjo. The group is quite a trio to catch, though Sarah's live dates are a bit limited for the upcoming months. For all her talent, she's merely a college student attending music school...ok...a Grammy-nominated college student who happens to be attending music school.
Lend her a listen.
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