Sometimes less is truly more. On Create the Night, Part 1 (part 2 is slated for release in spring 2007), Nashville-based quartet Oblio packs more musical variety into seven songs - at just under 30 minutes - than most bands manage on a full-length release. From the stark accordion and crickets opening of the first cut (“End Of The Night”), to the lazy reverb-drenched stop/start pattern of “Marlboro’s Blues,” to the delicate acoustic beauty of “Never That Cold,” Oblio’s eclectic nature is always front and center. Their homegrown approach recalls 60’s groups like Traffic and the Band, who holed up together under one roof, letting their songs - and the arrangements - take flower in an organic, rather than contrived way. That Oblio writes strong material is only part of the appeal; that they allow each song to build in its own way is their real strength. On each succeeding spin, Create the Night, Part 1 reveals new surprises: a trumpet line that rises above the rhythm, an accordion that appears from the background to command attention, and world-class lead and harmony vocals. This is wonderful, memorable music that makes one eagerly anticipate the release of Part 2.
~ Gary Frenay
