Having been described as British Columbia’s “most exciting newgrass band,” The Unfaithful Servants have carved out a unique niche for themselves. The group’s sophomore album, Fallen Angel, brings us a new collection of material utilizing their fusion of bluegrass, folk, and Americana sounds.
All eleven tracks on this release were written within the band. The opening track, Endless Highway, comes from guitarist Dylan Stone. With its gentle melody, the lyrics carry a deep message about going down the highway that is life. Along with Stone, the Unfaithful Servants also consist of Quin Etheridge-Peden on fiddle, Jesse Cobb on mandolin and vocals, and Mark Johnson on bass and vocals.
The Grass is Always Bluer and Big Shots both capture the band’s instrumental prowess. The former puts Quin and his fiddle out front in a bit of a swing fashion, while the latter features Jesse Cobb’s stellar mandolin work that fans have come to know and love.
The title song, Fallen Angel, carries a gloomy relatability. Co-written by Stone, Cobb, and Etheridge-Peden, this piece is one of facing emotional darkness and turmoil. The minor key melody fits the words of this song so perfectly. Negativity by Jesse Cobb is another relatable track, its lyrics warning that if we’re not careful, we can unintentionally allow pessimism to consume our inner being.
Buried In The Snow by Stone, closes the album out on a dark note with the theme of murder. Considering the story that this song is telling, the intensity of the melody steadily and appropriately builds throughout.
Fallen Angel is an excellent collection of acoustic originality. With relatable lyrical themes and strong melodies, The Unfaithful Servants are continuing to show how they’ve managed to build a loyal following in Canada and beyond.
