Key Tracks: “Daniel Bloom,” “Strange Skies,” “Fix This”

It takes a certain humbleness to truly make it in the music world; I mean truly. Listeners may at first be star-struck by flashy behavior and demanding falsettos, but without a sense of humility, a musician will lose its followers. It may take a few listens, or it may take a few years. Regardless, the impact can be fleeting.

Though sisters Claire and Page Campbell, who make up two-thirds of Hope For Agoldensummer, have blue eyes that pierce like a winter’s wind, their sisterly bond and bright-eyed musicianship suggest that humbleness is at the base of their sound.

Hope For Agoldensummer’s latest release, Life Inside the Body, depicts this humbleness effortlessly.

Life Inside the Body was recorded over a span of two years, which, in terms of life itself, is an incredibly short period of time. Look at it from a musical perspective, however, and two years can mean all sorts of changes. Creativity certainly molded according to where the sisters and bandmate Suny Lyons were mentally and physically, but many things that make the trio special remained constant.

For instance, the harmonies--no bond can be broken when the chain links are made of glorious harmonies. Paige and Claire Campbell layer their vocals beautifully, sharing the lower and higher notes as needed. Something about their singing feels very organic, like nothing is being forced. They let their voices crack and fall into a sleepy air as naturally as they let their lungs breath.

Songs like “Cold, Cold Bed” and “Come Back” are comprised solely of the Campbell sisters’ harmonies. There's no guitar plucks, no drumbeat, nothing--just the simplicity of this truly humanly created noise. The songs are similar in nature, maybe too similar, but they still add a certain purity to the album.

But, it need not be forgotten that the sisters and Lyons are well-rounded souls. The musical integrity doesn’t stop at the singing one bit. “Daniel Bloom” boasts Paige’s country-esque slide guitar abilities and Claire’s delicate manipulation of the saw. Lyons, on the other hand, plucks away at the banjo, adding a subtle alleviation to the rather sullen tune.

Perhaps it's Hope for Agoldensummer’s adorable southern roots that keep them grounded, or perhaps it’s just in their nature. Whatever it is, the execution of such humility has created an album that will surely last.