Shovels & Rope Craft Deeply Intimate ‘Little Seeds’

Jordan Bailey

The roots of Americana run deep in the south, and Charleston, South Carolina is one of the meccas of the modern Folk-Americana movement. As a city full of inspiring, creative country-minded folks, it’s the perfect place for Shovels & Rope, comprised of married couple Michael Trent and Cary Ann Hearst. On “Little Seeds,” their latest release, which was written, produced and performed by the couple, they take the opportunity to rock harder than they ever have.

The album’s title was taken from the song “Botched Execution,” which describes the life of a criminal vagabond whose chickens have come home to roost: “All my little seeds have grown/Sooner or later come back home,” a ruthless stream of lyrics amidst a driving acoustic guitar and pounding kick drum. The record’s opener, “I Know,” takes a similar route, only  with heavy-handed rock and plenty of distortion and “Buffalo Nickel” has that dark, blues-rock vibe similar to the White Stripes.

Though there are plenty of these rock-centric tracks, Hearst and Trent also craft lovely folk-ballads with the best of them. And, as folk artists do, some of their music chronicles historical events. “Missionary Ridge” focuses on the story of the 1863 Battle of Missionary Ridge in Chattanooga, Tennessee, framed as a cautionary tale to those looking to disturb the dead. They take these acoustic moments to seriously confront critical issues whether from historic or contemporary: “BWYR” examines last year’s racially-charged shooting in a South Carolina church. The tone is somber and reflective as they harmonize on “Black lives, white lives, yellow lives, red/Let’s all come together and share the bread/Let’s all join hands and share the dread.”

The album’s closing song is “The Ride,” a tear-inducing, powerful narrative sung with absolute passion about a recently deceased friend. Hearst and Trent conjure the sorrow of a life cut short with reminiscence and love of how beautiful and important life can be, through the good and the bad. “This ride,” they sing, “what a ride.”

“Little Seeds” is available on Apple Music Oct. 7.