A breath of fresh air 

“May your ears be blessed and your soul be lifted,” is Israel Nash’s wish for any and all who listen to his new release, Lifted, out now on Desert Folklore/Thirty Tigers. Described as a “modern day hippie-spiritual,” the Texan’s fifth album is jam-packed with overlaid instruments and sounds of nature that together create an album as pure as fresh country air and as joyful as a robin gliding through a meadow.

Nash recently told Magnet Magazine: “I was diggin’ hard on Phil Spector’s wall-of-sound records and creating all of these expansive layers and sounds,” while the musician was putting together the tracks on Lifted. The piecing together of both natural and musical sounds comes together as a varied organization of different string instruments, echoing and reverberated effects, regal-sounding horn melodies, angel choir harmonies and Nash’s flying voice all mixed up in a blender to create a batch of pseudo-hippie folk-rock gumbo.

The album was recorded at Plum Creek Sound, a studio Nash built near his home in Dripping Springs, Texas. In addition to the litany of instruments and musical noises recorded inside the studio, you can hear crickets chirping, rivers flowing and other outdoor sounds in the background to give the release a “down home” feel, as if the album was recorded with an open window to the ranch outside.

The guitars and drums make up the backbone and vital organs of Lifted, but the additional sounds and instruments (specifically from the horns and strings) are the extra layer of muscle that gives the album its powerful strength. Orchestral string sections on “Strong Was The Night” draw in the listener and fill out many of the verses and choruses to give the track a richer, more complete sound. Horn melodies on tracks like “Looking Glass” and “The Widow” add a layer of regal sophistication, as if a member of royalty is coming through the speakers.

The album starts with a light and airy intro that serves as an overture to the rest of the album. “Rolling On” explodes through your speakers with a cacophony of noise, creating a sensation that you’re flying through the air with ease and grace. This immersive experience is attained through a harmonic chorus, gazing in awe at the noise around you: a combination of filled-out six and 12-string acoustic guitars as well as some trippy guitar effects. Almost lost in this beginning is a lyrical message of perseverance, that no matter what happens “I had better keep rolling on.”

But the part that really sells this immersive idea, that you’re flying through the 12-song set list, is Nash’s angelic voice. His pristine pipes sound remarkably similar to a blend of Robert Plant’s megaphone-esque rock proclamations and the woodsy, natural emotion of Bon Iver (although on some tracks Nash could fool a listener for Phil Collins and even Neil Young).

Underneath the strange yet pleasing presentation of many of Lifted‘s tracks, there is a bedrock of solid rock and roll influence most fans should be able to pick up on with ease. “Sweet Springs” is another dreamy, floaty song with a melody that skips along without a care in the world, with a very Beach Boys-y sound. “SpiritFalls” features a very Neil Young-style guitar tone where you can hear the rock influences come alive in the 4/4 rhythm and guitar chords.

“Northwest Stars” begins like a lullaby because of its noticeably slower pace and the sound of xylophones in the first few seconds. But the calmness is interrupted by a 12-string guitar chord from Nash’s acoustic-electric Gretsch White Falcon that leads the charge of another mellow melody with a nighttime calmness to it. If you’re in need of 45-minutes of clean, serene, orchestrated folk rock that will take you on a head-clearing journey, Lifted is a definite recommendation as one of the best albums of 2018.