Sparse acoustic folk to subtly soulful piano to swirling world anthems rich with voices. Lyrical and thoughtful, it's a quiet little album that gets loud sometimes. Intelligent and elegant.
Recorded, produced and mastered by Don Arney of Quantum Music Production, the album features 14 original songs ranging from sparse acoustic folk to subtly soulful piano to swirling world anthems rich with voices.
The songs feature a core band of Travis Dillon, David Goodier, and Eric Rasley with contributions by Jon DaCosta, Holly Granzow, Samantha Harding, Shannon Hayden, Malik Lahlou, Ryan Lammey, John Murray, Jim Rasley and Dana Williamson.
Press excerpts
“The words adorning the 14 songs on this Terre Haute singer-songwriter’s first full-length album transcend mere lyrics. These are poems, pensively written and deep. … Her thoughts expressed on this soulful, acoustic folk compilation, “Sudden Amaryllis,” carry a cloud-gazing, introspective style.
“… Blust describes her world, from her own perspective, using her own life’s scenes, language and locales.
“The disc’s finest moments, lyrically, come when she paints images her listeners have likely experienced, too. Her philosophies and visions get deft, gentle musical support, built on her intricate tunes and arrangements. Blust’s voice is sweetly inviting, especially when the accompaniment — by a solid team of backing musicians — is most bare.”
Mark Bennett, Tribune-Star
“In Christina Blust’s music, the darkest days are illuminated by the sudden flowering of a friend’s amaryllis. Magnolias dream of flowering under the snow. Her accordion conjures the hoodoo of a hurricane- ravaged New Orleans where she once volunteered. The cancer that once plagued Blust’s mother and sister … is wished away, becoming poppy seeds, a wooden desk or a cotton skirt.
“…Blust’s songs are often strikingly beautiful, with full-band material followed by pensive meditations on guitar and piano under a poet’s imagery.”
Mark Stalcup, Terre Haute Living
Song stories
Christina’s written about the stories and processes behind a few of the songs on this album.
Videos
This video for “Providence” was filmed in Saint Mary-of-the-Woods, Indiana, in the Sisters of Providence Convent Cemetery.
