Ever since Lee surrendered at Appomattox, we of the South have been somewhat nervous about folks coming down from the North with an apparent intention to stick around. More often than not, their arrival was been accompanied by a “let us show you how it is done” affect. Truth be told, we needed some help in certain areas, but one would not imagine that music is one of them. Nor would one imagine an artist, a group, or a band moving from, say, Brooklyn to, say, Asheville as a way to advance their musical career.
That might be even more true in the case of The Broadcast, a rock and soul outfit fronted by vocalist Caitlin Krisko. Listening to their latest EP, “Days Like Dreams,” it’s obvious that these guys can play their asses off. Of course, they have to in order to keep up with Krisko’s powerful voice. Krisko has the rare ability to belt out a tune while maintaining a remarkable amount of clarity. It’s a pleasure to hear her and the band do their thing, although I’m not always sure what that thing is.
That seems to be exactly the point of their recent relocation, which allows for music making full time while they share a house in an undisclosed location north of town. Their first release, “Over The Undercover,” has a more engaging acoustic sound but does less to showcase the talents of the band and it’s leading lady. With this EP’s sharper edge, The Broadcast is clearly evolving to a point of being able to show us what they’ve got. Their presence in Asheville will be an asset to musicians and fans in the area, and they will reap the dividends of exposure to folks whose talents have been cultivated in more authentic ways here than may be possible in a highly commercialized scene. Sawadee to our new neighbors from the North! Welcome to Asheville y’all.