Album Review: Fruition’s “Just One of Them Nights
Review by Andrew Brown
The west coast has been quite selfish recently in hiding the up and coming Americana quintet Fruition, a group of friends who have set out on the journey of life, love and happiness together. Currently based out of Portland, Oregon, Fruition’s music sparks nostalgic ideals of running west and never looking back. That feeling of having a few dollars in your pocket, a couple friends and a horizon in front of you. Their new album “Just One of Them Nights”, released July 31st of this year, is here to remind us of how heart felt country bluegrass should sound. Fruition have created a beautiful blend of melodic bluegrass and Americana folk that overwhelms the senses.
Fruition consists of its founders, Jay Cobb Anderson (lead guitar/vocals) and Keith Simon (bass), as well as Kellen Asebroek (guitar), Mimi Naja (mandolin/vocals) and Tyler Thompson (drums). Fruition began with a very modest beginning. Their first album, 2008’s “Hawthorne Hoedown”, took only one day to record. The bands next album, the self-titled “Fruition”, was recorded in 2009 with production help from famed guitar player Nate Keefe, of the Hot Buttered Rum String Band. The band had created a powerful sense of credibility apart from their nights on the road with these back to back albums.
Their new album “Just One of Them Nights”, begins with a jubilant folk melody, with stories of contentment within the living moment. Entitled “Git Along”, this track speaks messages of hope, that no matter how rough life can get we must remember that we’re still alive; “well I ain’t got no problem, just a being where I’m at/ but I guess I could be somewhere else, but I don’t care about that/ so leave me where I’m sitting or come and join the song/ just no matter what, my friends, I’m still gonna get along.” The single of “Just One of Them Nights”, “Mountain Annie”, is a steady bluegrass tale of heart break and the means in which we choose to forget. The lyrics are driven through a duet of harmonization between Anderson and Naja. The beautiful call and response between Mimi Naja on Mandolin and Jay Cobb Andeerson during the bridge synchronizes perfectly with the vocal chorus. My personal favorite track off the new album, which pairs perfectly with the single “Mountain Annie”, is titled “Broken Hearted”. This warm song speaks to the therapy of good friends and strong spirits to heal the ache of a broken heart. When every part of the world reminds you of the longing for the one lost and loved; ” Hanging out all night with them good time friends of mine/ Drinking whatever will get me drunk, trying to get you off my mind/ But nothing I have is strong enough, nothing ever gets to me/ And everything around just brings back your memory”. The core of the ballad breaks down to state that truly “we are born to be the broken hearted”.
Fruition has jumped leaps and bounds to produce such a heart felt, exquisite album. Through the support of diehard fans, friends and family, the band was able to raise enough money through grassroots fundraising efforts to produce the most professional album possible, and they succeeded. “Just One of Them Nights” is a perfect album to accompany the warm autumn evenings, reminiscing over the changing seasons and the brilliance of our everyday lives.
Listen to the album here: https://soundcloud.com/lucky-man-management/sets/fruition-just-one-of-them/s-2d7eP
