“Homesick” introduced us to their sound, and now in the new single “County Fair,” folk/country duo Eller Rhodes gives us a closer look at their identity as a modern acoustic pair in an increasingly electrified genre. Although the demand for country/rock hybrids has been much greater than that of others in the past year, Eller Rhodes don’t sound like an act that keeps up with the trends their peers are obsessed with integrating into their sound. This is a country outfit that cares about melody and the might of lyrics, which sadly makes them one of the few detail-focused bands I’ve heard in a while.
The harmonies feel more folk/pop than they do countrified in “County Fair,” but they don’t feel so ingrained in singer/songwriter aesthetics as to seem insular or self-conscious. There’s a big difference between the alternative folkies and the more charismatic players who simply take influence from the broad range of Americana as it’s come to be known in popular music over the past sixty years, and I think /Eller Rhodes make it pretty well known in this single that they’re respectfully a part of the latter group and not the former.
This lyrical substance is perhaps the greatest source of warmth in this piece, and I would love to hear what these words would sound like when sung by other artists as well. The flexibility of this song makes it such a plausible cover for a lot of musicians potentially as intrigued by the notion of stripping away the fat from their sound as Eller Rhodes are, which isn’t to discount the originality of their performance here at all. Being a strong songwriter means developing material other players can make their own, and in this regard, this duo might be one of the more exciting coming into their own this July.
I definitely picked up on the familial bond between father and daughter in this song the first time I listened to it this week, and I don’t know that you need any background on the creators of “County Fair” to appreciate this element of its origin story. There’s a relationship between the musicians sharing the recording studio for this release that affects every detail and manner in which we would interpret the narrative, and because of how tight these two are, we can really get a good feel for what they can do when the content is as strong as their connection is.
From Americana buffs to the more casual country listeners among us (including myself), this new single from Eller Rhodes is an ace if I’ve ever heard one before. It might not live by the rules of the traditional country/western sound a lot of us remember from ages ago, but this song’s marriage of folk harmonies and country crooning is something I wasn’t expecting to be as impressed by as I am this summer. “County Fair” is an affectionate, easy-going ballad, and it doesn’t take more than a single listen to understand why it’s getting the praise from critics that it is.
Claire Uebelacker