Quote the Raven (Photo | Stephen Green)

Quote the Raven Aren’t Worried About Fitting Into a Mould on New Album ‘Can’t Hold the Light’

A pilgrimage to Nashville in 2019 to participate in AmericanaFest served as inspiration for Newfoundland’s certified rising stars, Quote the Raven to pen a sincere and hopeful album about companionship in its many forms. Jordan and Kirsten play off each other wonderfully throughout Can’t Hold the Light as they revel in newfound freedom.

“Being from Newfoundland you always feel the pull towards traditional,” Jordan explains, “and we weren’t fully folk, not fully country or roots or even pop either.” While to fans who romanticize and value music as an artistic endeavour that shouldn’t succumb to such shackles; things like genre can still be a lingering leach that drains precious mental energy. “When it came to awards or conferences people would ask ‘what genre are you’ and we’d have to basically shrug and insert ourselves into one of those genres when it didn’t quite make sense.”

Quote the Raven’s second offering isn’t so much a departure as it is the pair allowing their roots to grow into something that feels more natural for them and thus presents as a more effortless and fluid offering. Songs like “The Moth” would find themselves right at home on stage at the Grand Ole Opry, the title track has a surprisingly Incubus-ian melody at parts and album opener “Hope” hits many a folk note yet the album as a whole feels like they are spreading their wings (you thought you weren’t gonna a get a bird-based pun?).

“Definitely the only restraints were our creativity, which is so freeing as an artist. Especially when there’s a focus on being a business professional on top of an artist. We felt like we could be all the things at once without being penalized for not fitting into a mould.”

The content of the album is as collaborative as Jordan and Kirsten’s vocals are.

“A lot of the songs were written pre-pandemic about being on the road and just trying to wrap our heads around being full-time musicians. Once the pandemic hit a lot of the songs took on new meaning about how having each other’s back was going to be the thing that kept us going when there were so many uncertainties. There are also songs about past relationships that went sour and an homage to Peter Pan and never wanting to grow up.”

“Hope” and “Home is Worth the Blues” stand strong as snapshots of this time in the band’s career and are perfectly placed on the album as Hope starts us off with the pair’s optimism and companionship with one another, “As long as I’ve got you to take this journey on with me, there’s nothing else that I could ever need.” The mood shifts somewhat on the latter song as they delve into the creeping doubts and insecurities of their travels before pleading that home is worth this struggle.

The album showcases more traditional and very heartfelt visions of romantic relationships as well, especially on “Love You the Best”. A simple and straightforward duet with minimal but powerful backing that exemplifies what we likely all aspire towards. “Lovers Do” is a delicate piano-driven declaration directed sheepishly toward the object of one’s affection with all the longing and listlessness you’d expect from unrequited love.

My favourite moments though are those in which these two categories of comradery could be considered congruent. “Through the Night” and “Comes Around” reach the pinnacle of partnership in that both show a connection and dynamic that is as free of any burdens as Quote the Raven is of any previous genre-linked inhibitions.

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