Review: The Booklights Release Debut EP

New York based The Booklights just released their debut EP, Into a Ball. The band is made up of Rob Morrison (vocals), Lauren Molina (cello), Rachel Green (fiddle) and Benny Elledge (percussion). Due to the pandemic, the EP was recorded remotely during 2020. It was produced and mixed by James Frazee.

The Booklights was formed in 2014 by lead singer and songwriter Rob Morrison. As well as performing in the band, each member has their own projects including acting in various shows on and off Broadway, appearing in TV and Film, composing scores, and doing voiceover work. Morrison composed the scores and songs for the Off-Broadway show Frankenstein in which he also appeared. His voice overs are found in shows such as “Sunny Day”, “Peg + Cat”, “Pokémon”, and “Bug Diaries”.

Rachel Green is a comedian and actress who has appeared in TV shows including The Flight Attendant, Law & Order SVU, and Bull. Lauren Molina‘s Broadway credits include Sweeney Todd and Rock of Ages. Benny Elledge has appeared on Broadway in the musical Waitress as well TV shows including Happy Sneaky Pete, Seven Seconds, Gotham, Blue Bloods and The Detour.

The Booklights perform a genre of music known as Americana. This is a genre that I became acquainted with a couple of years ago while photographing a band named The Devil Makes Three. It’s a form of music that combines elements of American roots music including country, roots-rock, folk, bluegrass, R&B and blues. Instrumentation is typically acoustic utilizing strings instruments such as guitars, banjo, and upright bass. There exists a reverence for the past which seeks to creatively recycle lyrical themes and harmonic ideas from past generations. These lyrics are rooted in storytelling or symbolism.

“Into a Ball is a collection of songs that pull from the sounds and genres that we in the Booklights love: Americana, backwoods folk and roots, a quick dip into 1930s-style novelty music, and finally, dark psychedelia,” shares vocalist/guitarist Rob Morrison. “Recorded remotely in 2020 during lockdown, the EP is made up of songs that journey through seasonal changes and cycles, traditional and futuristic textures, all rolled into a ball.”

On “Waywiser”, Morrison’s guitar starts the song off before blending into the sound of Green’s fiddle. “Slingshot” is a bright, lively tune. Morrison shows his falsetto range on “Sweeter on the Vine”. All Tomorrow’s Parties is an orchestral arrangement of the 1967 Velvet Underground classic.

Morrison explains “’My Woman, the Almanac’ is a love song about letting go of the many things we can’t control in life, and instead, investing that energy in your partner. The lyrics frame this idea through a farmer who longs to work his land but is cooped up inside during the winter and learns to simply be grateful for the time with his loved one. Though written before quarantine, this song certainly took on a new meaning for us in 2020. We were fortunate enough to be joined by the wonderful Jay Julio on viola for this song.”

The EP is out now and can be streamed here: https://bit.ly/2VfRMdq.

The Booklights are:
Rob Morrison – lead vocals, guitars, mandolin
Lauren Molina – cello, backup vocals
Rachel Green – fiddle, backup vocals
Benny Elledge – percussion, backup vocals

Additional musicians:
Jay Julio – viola on “My Woman, the Almanac”
Hilary Hawke – banjo, backup vocals on “Slingshot”

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