Recommended Tracks: “Runaway”, “I Give You the Morning”
Artists You May Like: Sarah Jarosz, Nickel Creek, Trampled by Turtles
The optimism we usually feel on New Year’s Eve about the incoming year is always so fleeting. By this time of year, we start to accept that our goals might have been too high or that our ambitions were too extreme, made all the gloomier from the cold and rainy weather outside. Yet, there is reason to remain hopeful, as the sunshine and greenery found in the springtime awaits. This “hope for the better” concept is actually the inspiration behind Buffalo Rose and Tom Paxton’s latest EP, Rabbit, which contains four tracks that are guaranteed to get us out of whatever winter funk we may be experiencing.
Over the course of the EP, we are treated to picturesque snapshots of love, trust, and adventure. We start out with the tumbling “Runaway,” which is about how scary it can feel to find true love. Over brisk acoustic guitar, we hear how “forever’s just a long, long way to go,” and the notion of it all being too good to be true. But, by confronting that fear of falling in love and not running away from it, we open up the door to the comfort that love brings, which comes through on the tender cover of Tom Paxton’s “I Give You the Morning.” The specific descriptions throughout the track, such as “through the frosted window pane, the sun grows bolder” and “like an antique ballroom fan, your eyelids flutter,” help us to better experience the beauty of waking up to a new day with someone special.
The other two tracks on Rabbit are just as descriptive and pure, but deal with love in a more low-key manner. On “Green Light,” we hear about making the best out of what you have while embracing the idea of what is to come. Basically, if we stay calm and not let our fears overpower us, we can achieve anything. The closing track, a cover of Tom’s “Jennifer’s Rabbit,” demonstrates just how far our minds can take us, as it recounts a crazy dream about a young girl named Jennifer and her rabbit. In the dream, Jennifer goes on a journey with her white and brown rabbit, along with many other animal friends. Together, they dance, play, and enjoy each other’s company before finally settling down to get some sleep. The whimsical track is a little unexpected, but in the end, it rounds out the EP.
Overall, Rabbit is a warm project that shows the magic that can come from the right kind of collaboration. Buffalo Rose have brought new life to Tom Paxton’s originals, their fierce vocals and instrumentals combining beautifully with Paxton’s incomparable writing. Additionally, the two new tracks fit in so well with these originals, as if they were meant to be on such a project together all along. In the end, Rabbit offers us a moment to stop, breathe, and acknowledge the day happening around us, and reminds us to stay curious about what comes next.
You can listen to Rabbit on platforms like Apple Music and Spotify.
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