Crow Greenspun

Crow Greenspun is a singer and songwriter based out of Ithaca, New York who plays some of the finest roots-based rock being made right now.  His music encompasses both the folk tradition of Woody Guthrie and the horn-drenched soulfulness of Van Morrison.  But Crow Greenspun is certainly no old relic or throwback artist; his vision is far more expansive.  He even includes elements of modern hip-hop in his sound as well.  In essence, Crow Greenspun is truly a musician's musician, that rare breed who has the ability to take seemingly disparate styles and forge them into something that is ecclectic and original, yet also satisfyingly familiar.

That Greenspun is able to combine folk, country, blues, soul, rock, and rap into something coherent of his own is no small feat.  Even more impressive is that in no way does he ever sound forced, as if he is trying to be trendy.  His music always feels like it is drawn from the natural rhythms of life.  Greenspun can move from a tender, poignant love song about the complexities of marriage right into a hard-hitting, in-your-face rap about the crumbling state of the world without blinking an eye.  He sings in a high, soft tenor, almost a mumble, straight from the gut, with an unstudied style.  As a rapper, his skills on the mic and his passion for the genre are undeniable.  He booms out at you like a hungry firebrand.

In his lyrics, Crow Greenspun isn't afraid to address life's big questions.  He takes such traditional subjects as death, loss, heartbreak, and true love, and looks at them with fresh insight.  He deals equally well with political themes.  His best songs often tell autobiographical stories that are both harrowing and redemptive.  Greenspun's writing cuts to the core of whatever issues he is addressing, with a sense of humor and wordplay that is sharp and profound.

Greenspun's band plays with a loose, easy joy that is similar in feel to the work Dylan did with The Band.  You get the sense that a song can take off in another direction at any moment.  Acoustic guitars and horns coexist on his records with turntables.  Organ notes come wafting in over a solid rhythm section laying down a groove that makes you want to get up and dance.  Unfortunately, there is no genre description adequate enough to describe Crow Greenspun's style.  His tastes are so varied, his talent so broad.  But ultimately, it is that very scope, the merging of sounds old and contemporary, which gives his music its raw emotional power.  It is in many ways the sound of the past meeting the future.