Bad Nights/Better Days
Tracks:
Finalist, 2008 Independent Music World Series
The songs they used to be afraid to write. Real, Raw and recorded in three days. On three days in February, an award-winning 17-year-old songwriter and a member of Red Molly holed themselves up in a small wooden studio in Croton-on-Hudson, NY. Out came the songs they used to be afraid to write. Real and raw, there's no feel-good hit of the summer here. Over the course of the record, in the tradition of an old-school concept LP, love is found, confused, lost, rediscovered and redefined. The songs are filled with worn acoustic guitars, wailing electric guitars, crying dobros, walls of lap-steel, junk percussion, soulful strings, and heartfelt vocals, complimented by vintage amps and the earthy tone of a wood room. This album is evidence of the human condition, in all of its glory and pain.
Reviews:
Richard Cuccaro, Publisher, Acoustic Live!—"While Abbie Gardner and Anthony da Costa mine the territory blazed by Gillian Welch and David Rawlings, by plumbing the depths of personal pain and joy, they extract gold. In its exquisite expression of longing and regret, Bad Nights/Better Days is a work of staggering emotional power. I can't stop listening."
Ron Olesko, WFDU, Teaneck, NJ—"Abbie Gardner and Anthony da Costa represent the vanguard of the exciting artists that are coming up from the ranks of the contemporary folk/acoustic scene. Together, on Bad Nights/Better Days, they deliver a powerhouse performance on 13 songs that look at life and relationships from a unique and fresh perspective. A first rate recording that highlights each of their individual talents while underscoring a shared musical experience that is at the soul of the music they are creating."
David Dircks, Producer, Acoustic Long Island—"Bad Nights/Better Days is absolutely beautiful. Whether Anthony is backing Abbie up or vice versa, their voices blend with a richness and warmth that pours over you. An emotional, evocative listen."
Neil Pearson, Fish Records, UK—"What is most striking about Bad Nights/Better Days is the edge to the songs. These recordings are full of energy and life—a distinct feel that sits somewhere between Stacey Earle and Mark Stuart, and Gillian Welch & David Rawlings "
