While many people entered the Gods of Indie Guitar competition, only a certain amount of people were able to walk away with the top prize from each of the categories that made up the contest. And while Pennsylvania-based guitarist Krista Parrish did not take home the top prize from the Rhythm Category from the contest, it is her song “Mexico” that is one of the strongest songs that makes up the playlist of the CD that came about after the competition was run and decided. Krista Parrish’s “Mexico” is just one of the songs that make up the Playing with Pendulums release from The Krista Parrish Trio.
Along with Krista Parrish on guitar and vocals the rest of The Krista Parrish Trio consists of Steven Murphy on bass and Michael Fezekas on drums and percussion. This talented trio helped to bring Parrish’s music to life. And while the contest song of “Mexico” is an instrumental track that truly helps give people some idea of what Parrish and her musical companions can do musically, the entire album is NOT instrumental. In fact, about half the album contains lyrics. And while the track “Mexico” is jazz-based, the Playing with Pendulums CD from The Krista Parrish Trio jumps around a lot musically, as the band never stays in one musical mindset very long.
To begin the Playing with Pendulums album, Krista presents the song “Happy Guitar”. The first track of the album gives some idea of the talent of this musician as the song takes the listener on a trip that winds its way through blues, jazz and a even a little bit of folk, as the music changes tempos and feels throughout the entire length of the track. To show the talent of this musician, this would have been my second choice behind “Mexico” as the song to submit to the Gods of Indie Guitar Competition.
The pace and intensity of the music changes with the second track, “Hola Nino Hermoso”: While “Happy Guitar” is one of the instrumental tracks on the album, “Hola Nino Hermoso” is one of the tracks that feature vocals from Parrish. The band takes on a folk-like sound as they lighten the feel of the music. And while the track is more about the lyrics and not the music, the music portion of the song is rather beautiful as Parrish sings of wanting to spend time together with the object of her desire.
Krista Parrish is one of the best finger style guitarists out there. One of the best indications of how good Parrish is with the style is on her song “Mexico”. The song begins with Krista using her fingers to hammer on the strings of her guitar to create a unique sound to the music. The finger style playing by Parrish is complimented by her strumming of the strings to create a two-style approach on the track. The two styles on one track make “Mexico” one of the strongest and most enjoyable songs on the Playing with Pendulums album by The Krista Parrish Trio. It is also one of the best tracks of the Gods of Indie Guitar compilation.
To understand just how versatile Krista Parrish is with her writing, take a listen to her song “Eye to Eye:” “Eye to Eye” sends the music into a different direction as the song sounds like it would belong with bands that spend their time creating lounge music. The lounge-style of music and Parrish’s jazz-like vocals make for a unique pairing of sounds that work well together. And strangely enough, Krista Parrish’s vocals sound as if she was born to sing that style of music. This track is the one track written by someone other than Krista as the song was written by her late brother, Corey Parrish.
While the majority of the Playing with Pendulums album by The Krista Parrish Trio was created with Steven Murphy on bass and Michael Fezekas on drums, the track “Easier Said than Done” was created by Krista Parrish with the help of Liam Reid on bass and James Stapleford on mandolin and keys. The song is another instance where the resulting track shows off the talent of the musicians. The track is one of the songs you will find yourself singing along with the lyrics.
Having discovered Krista Parrish for the first time while listening to the CD for the Gods of Indie Competition, I am glad for that opportunity as Playing with Pendulums, the album from The Krista Parrish trio is well worth the time it takes to listen to the entire release. As the music changes from track-to-track, you get to hear different sides to this talented musician and her band. And each side of Krista Parrish the musician is as different as the next. You’ll just have to listen to the album to discover the talent of Krista Parrish for yourself.
Click HERE for a live performance of the song “Mexico” from The Krista Parrish Trio.
To read more about the Gods of Indie Guitar competition, click on the link.
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