The Center State
Saint Joseph, Missouri, United States | Established. Jan 01, 2013
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Folk trio The Center STate will be pulling double-duty this weekend. At 7p.m., on June 20 the group will open for Matthew West at Civic Arena in St. Joseph and at 6p.m. on June 21, it will headline the Imagine Eleven concert series with opener Stephanie Gummelt. - Andrew Gaug
I had the pleasure of giving a listen to a fantastic new folk/americana album by the St. Joseph MO trio, The Center State. Close Enough to Miss is the group's first full-length album. "We wanted to make sure our quality was better than any demo or EP that we have put out in the past," Vocalist Jeremy Sharp continued, "We recorded it ourselves in a loft at our church. It was different because we had control over the process. We had the ability to work through parts since we were recording ourselves." The album was engineered on ProTools 8, an older version, but quite effective none the less. Sharp shared, "We ended up with great sounds. In the final mix it went to James Felver, a KC producer and then mastered at DiscMakers' in-house mastering lab."
The album comes out swinging with"Every Little Thing," a jaunty tune about keeping negative influence out of your everyday life. I found myself singing along by the end of the first chorus. I found Jeremy's vocal styling and cadence very Jack Johnson-esque throughout the majority of the album, which leaves you with a very soothing feeling. The lyrics have a very relatable, everyman feel. I was able to, in some way or another, find a way to connect the sentiments found in each song to some of my own experiences. Tracks bounce back and forth between very spiritual themes and lovelorn, sometimes overbearing daily life. Jeremy told me,"The album as a whole represents life. There are songs that allude to our faith in Christ, but we also see the beauty from the faith lived out in everyday life. Some shades are darker and some are brighter and our songs try to reflect those stories."
Without question my favorite track is a bluesy narrative"Penny for a Drink" about the absurdity of some of the things we as humans put so much stock in. My favorite line, "I've got a tie around my neck, he's got a hat on his head. Does that mean you love me more, or love him less?" speaks of the way insignificant differences can have such an impact on human interaction. I asked Jeremy to delve a little deeper into the imagery in the song. "I don't want to define it much, but it speaks to outward judgement and not enough inward reflection." I have an interpretation that is probably more apocalyptic than intended, but just the same. Come judgement day, I feel like this song will be the soundtrack in my head.
Close Enough to Miss will be officially released February 13th, 2015 at Paradox Theatre (107 S. 6th Street St. Joseph MO) with a live performance joined by special guests Under the Big Oak Tree (7pm, all ages welcome), as well as a small follow up performance February 20, with guest Monzie Leo & The Big Sky at Magoons (632 S 8th St. Joseph MO). The album will also be available through Amazon.com, iTunes, Spotify and most other major online retailers. - Tuning Fork Magazine
By Andrew Gaug | St. Joe Live | 0 comments
The Center State “Close Enough to Miss”
For fans of: The Swell Season, Ray Lamontagne, The Civil Wars
There’s a certain sense of comfort and charm surrounding The Center State’s debut album, “Close Enough to Miss.” The warm production behind the folk trio’s sound mixes well with its music, combining Jack Johnson-style guitar with Ray Lamontagne vocals and string flourishes as the band tackles internal problems (the Jason Mraz-like “Every Little Thing,” and “Proud Man,” the best song Glen Hansard didn’t write), unrequited love (“I’m Just A Girl,” “Oh The Agony”) and exhaustion (“Tired & Given In”).
Combining lead singer Jeremy Sharp’s husky voice with McKenzie and Brad Davidson’s lighter voices, “Close Enough To Miss” makes good work of the band’s near-flawless harmonies on “Tired & Given Up,” “Rosa Lee” and “Every Little Thing.”
“Close Enough to Miss” isn’t an album filled with huge risks and that’s OK. The band does well with mixing the slower ballads like the Otis Redding-esque “Rosa Lee” and “Delicate” with the standout folk-pop songs like “Tired & Given In” and the breezy “Penny for a Drink.”
The Center State has a clear knack for catchy hooks, wonderful harmonies and introspective lyrics, as the album proves. While “Close” is a wonderful first step, it will be interesting to see what the band has next. - By Andrew Gaug | St. Joe Live |
Discography
Still working on that hot first release.
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The Center State first full-length album, Close Enough To Miss, self recorded in St. Joseph Missouri with final mix engineer James Felver. is out now on itunes, Spotify, and most other digital platforms.
Part acoustic pop music, part troubadour with a silky lament, and one part organic Americana, the album is a great first step into folk music. This confident collection of songs that is as agony filled in places as it is catchy in others, sometimes within the span of a single song. The trio and sometimes quintet of musicians are as eccentric as the music they play. The quirky Davidson couple that plays upright bass and violin, and shares vocals with the songwriter of the group Jeremy Sharp, are always inquisitive in pursuit of interesting music that has staying power. Jeremy, the acoustic guitarist of the group, honed his writing sensibility in the Midwest, surrounded by small towns, hot muggy days off the Missouri river.
The Center State has shared the stage with artists, such as Matthew West, Paul Clark, Sanctus Reel, & The Souvineers.
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