Sprawling Minnesota ensemble Romantica have spent the last seven years on hiatus following a dispute with their former label. Fronted by Irish-born singer-songwriter Ben Kyle, the group has nurtured a cult following with their heartfelt and melodic alt-country. On February 10th Romantica make a triumphant return with the release of Shadowlands on Last Chance Records, the label that is home to talented acts like American Aquarium, John Moreland, and Tim Easton. The album may be the group’s finest effort to date and the title reflects the darker times that have been a presence in Ben Kyle’s life since Romantica’s last release. But as much as it’s about the shadowlands we all venture through from time to time, the album is also uplifting in its message of making it through those shawdowlands. Throughout, we are given lush, twangy instrumentation, heartfelt lyrics, and soulful harmonies.
Today Glide Magazine is excited to share an exclusive first listen of one of the standout tracks on Shadowlands. “Cecil Ingram Conor” is a rambling, pedal-steel driven meditation on the tragic life of Gram Parsons. It is also one of the most fun tunes on the album, with plenty of piano and group singing, bringing to mind the more country efforts of Ryan Adams and Bright Eyes’ Conor Oberst.
Ben Kyle offers up the story behind the song, saying, “I was driving home from the secondhand book store where I had just picked up my first Gram Parsons compilation album. It was the middle of summer and I had the windows rolled down in my navy blue cutlass station wagon and the speakers were blaring. I was thinking to myself, ‘I’ve been looking for this sound all of my life and I didn’t even know it existed!’ I was euphoric. I soon read Gram’s biography and was heartbroken that he died so young and I would never get to hear him sing. O Lord, My Lord, no angel had a voice could ring like that!”
LISTEN:
Romantica release Shadowlands on February 10th. For more music and info visit romanticamusic.com.
You can also pre-order the album here: https://lastchancerecords.
