Paper Airplane (Rounder, 2011)
Paper Airplane reunites Alison Krauss, one of the finest voices in the American roots music scene, with Union Station, the formidable band of acoustic music instrumentalists that has characterized her sound for many years. One of the pillars of Union Station is resophonic lap steel guitar virtuoso Jerry Douglas, who performs his unmistakable twangy guitar solos throughout the album.
The music on Paper Airplane is contemporary bluegrass at its best. Alison Krauss and Union Station craft beautiful songs that are easy to assimilate, while at the same they add superb musical elements rooted in American bluegrass tradition.
Paper Airplane comes in two versions. The regular retail version contains 11 pieces. American department store chain Target has released a special extended edition, with a total of 17 tracks. I recommend gettng the Target edition because of the extra tracks, including three exclusive studio songs – “These Days” and “A Place Outside,” both written by Angel Snow and Krauss’ brother, Viktor Krauss; and “Frozen Fields,” composed by Jeff Black and Jon Randall. Three bonus live tracks also available on the album: “We Hide & Seek,” “Faraway Land” and “Every Time You Say Goodbye.” The deluxe version is definitely worth the money.
Paper Airplane is contemporary bluegrass of the highest caliber performed by an array of top talent.
Buy the album or MP3 downloads:
In North America:
- Target deluxe edition: at Target stores or target.com
- regular CD or MP3s at Amazon.com: Paper Airplane.
In Europe: Paper Airplane.
Author: Angel Romero
Angel Romero y Ruiz has dedicated his life to musical exploration. His efforts included the creation of two online portals, worldmusiccentral.org and musicasdelmundo.com. In addition, Angel is the co-founder of the Transglobal World Music Chart, a panel of world music DJs and writers that celebrates global sounds. Furthermore, he delved into the record business, producing world music studio albums and compilations. His works have appeared on Alula Records, Ellipsis Arts, Indígena Records and Music of the World.
