“Life moves pretty fast. If you don’t stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it.” – Ferris Bueller
Ferris Bueller was a man of the people–an 80’s pop culture icon created in the era of John Hughes’ brilliance. Ferris’ words continue to find footing thirty years after audiences caught their first glimpse of the vested hero on the big screen. He was right–life does move pretty fast. In our current culture of instagramification it can require some serious effort to slow down, stop multitasking and take a break from all of the Facebook updates and Tweets.
Fortunately, there is a simple solution that often yields positive results–music. Music is that powerful catalyst that forces you to look up from the glow of your iPhone. When the sound of joyful voices melting together into a rich harmony hits your eardrum, you can no longer ignore the goosebumps on the back of your arms and the calming breath in your chest. Music pulls you away from all of the noise. It frees you.
On their third studio album, Old Time Reverie, Mipso serves up just that–freedom. Sitting down with this album transports the listener back to a simpler time, though not one without its own set of obstacles, as evidenced by the album opener “Marianne.” With a happy fiddle playing peek-a-boo throughout the song, one may mistaken “Marianne” for a jovial tune. Lyrics tell a different story, one of the forbidden love of an interracial couple in 1960s North Carolina. Mipso sets the storytelling bar high with “Marianne,” a familiar approach for the band’s album openers–hook the listener from the get go and hold ’em ’til the end.
“Down in the Water” follows with Rodenbough’s timeless, crisp vocals at the forefront. The simplicity and tone of the song feel hymnal, even baptismal at times. However, the beauty of the song emerges in its content and transcends church walls as Rodenbough pleads for a quiet and content mind–a very relatable request. “Eliza,” a lover’s plea laced with three-part harmonies, brings a little folky waltz to the album and is sure to be a live fan favorite.
On “Bad Penny,” Terrell hits the ground running, taking listeners on a wild lyrical goose chase with his ever evolving gift of storytelling. The song’s fiddle line elicits images of a Smoky Mountain family feud, even though the story unfolds in modern-day NYC. It is in playing with these lyrical and musical contradictions that Mipso continues to grow and evolve as a group.
With Sharp on lead vocals, “Momma” tugs at the heartstrings, combining a Simonesque melody with Mipso harmonies and honesty. “Father’s House” highlights the gospel influence that often accompanies Mipso’s bluegrass roots. Here the band uses religious imagery to tackle feelings of isolation and uncertainty in life and death.
“Captain’s Daughter” sets sail on the high seas, telling the story of a lonely seaman who yearns to reunite with his land-bound love, Annabelle. Rodenbough’s fiddle brings in Celtic tones, transporting the listener across the pond to a more rustic land where passion is fierce in both love and trade.
“Stranger,” a more modern love ballad for the group, pumps the brakes while breaking hearts. “Honeybee” picks up the pieces and brings in a bit of sweet springtime sunshine. Terrell convinces listeners that he’s singing from a very personal space, though in his songwriting prowess perhaps he’s just that good.
“Everyone Knows” slithers in with a desperado darkness, fit for a Tarantino flick. Though a bit of a departure for Mipso, it stands tall as the album’s best track. On “Everyone Knows,” Mipso stepped out boldly into the dusty town square, pulled their pistols and walked away unscathed. The only thing missing now is an accompanying video. Jon Kasbe get your camera ready.
The album closes with “4 Train,” a love song set to a steady locomotive cadence. Touching on familiar emotions that accompany love, “4 Train” shines a spotlight on each band member’s talents, book-ending the album perfectly.
Old Time Reverie offers listeners a solid collection of stories, steeped in traditional acoustic instrumentation and tight-knit harmonies at a steady rocking chair pace. With each listen, you may find it easier and easier to pull yourself away from the hustle and bustle and take a moment to really live inside the beauty of a carefully crafted song.
Ironically, the members of Mipso weren’t even born when Ferris first delighted downtown Chicago with his famous renditions of “Danke Schoen” and “Twist and Shout.” Yet, somehow they collectively possess his spirit, charm, and ability to captivate an audience. On Old Time Reverie, Terrell, Sharp, Robinson and Rodenbough further reveal the old souls that live in their youthful vessels–wise beyond their years, much like Mr. Bueller.
Mipso is a four-piece folk/bluegrass band out of Chapel Hill, NC consisting of Joseph Terrell (guitar), Wood Robinson (double bass), Jacob Sharp (mandolin) and Libby Rodenbough (fiddle).
Evolution of a Fan 