Arlington Priest: Press

The duo songwriting team of Rhett and Jill McAllister breathlessly achieves a beautifully toned album of delightful folk rock, featuring 11 haunting, delicate stories that genuinely grab listeners’ hearts. The songs are appealing and gripping, and a new tour in support of this release should resonate with listeners new and old. The Memory of Your Company is a perfect example of successfully blending a mixture of contemporary folk, pop and acoustic rock while leaving room for the power of pure Americana. What’s great about Arlington Priest is the duo's uncanny ability to leave space between both voices, delivering a heavenly result. The warmth of Rhett's acoustic guitar is perfect for a cozy night by the fireside; it wraps you up in the magic of song like your favorite blanket. The work put into this album, recorded and produced by friend and fellow musician Will Robertson, helps bring great flow and quality to the final product. The overall talent of the backup musicians used during these sessions is admirable; they churn out pleasantly performed instrumental parts with great fervor. David and Ned Henry's intense arrangements of cello and violin provide a stirring intro to "Petersburg," a refreshing addition to the album’s overall composition. "Sarah" presents itself as a somewhat melancholy ballad, bursting with subtle colors, brooding with emotion. "The Stone" packs a punch, sending forth brilliant harmonies and perfectly executed reverbed guitars as the McAllisters sing in celebration with soul and purpose. Of course, The Memory of Your Company opens up with Arlington Priest's hits that first brought them local recognition, the reflective "Long Day" and the energetic "Mexico." This album is an epic tale developed through three years of hard work, full of labor and love, chronicling Arlington Priest's journey through the Southeast. With music of this caliber, one hopes Arlington Priest will find its career taking off to broader horizons. Arlington Priest is a special duo with the power to move audiences with passionate voices and superbly crafted storytelling.

Brilliant debut from Georgian husband-wife harmonisers...

The first thing to say about ‘The Memory of Your Company’ is that it is a cracking debut. The husband-and-wife duo that comprise Arlington Priest have spent three years honing their harmonies and it has paid off in spades. This debut is bursting with variety and maturity and contains some absolute gems. Rhett and Jill McAllister have contrasting voices but they meld beautifully across a variety of styles – country, americana, folk and even a touch of zydeco. With superb backing a variety of musicians including producer Will Robertson, the sound is rich which is just as well because Jill matches Neko Case in terms of lung power. Yet she is more than capable of drawing back and supporting Rhett’s more cautious tones to great effect.

The highlights include the plaintive and honest opener ‘Long Day,’ the expansive ‘Mexico’ and the anthemic ‘The Stone’. These are very strong songs that are executed with perfection as the McAllisters vocal intimacy grabs the listener. Gentler ballads such as ‘Sarah,’ ‘Petersburg’ and ‘Tonight’ are heartfelt and balance the livelier numbers. ‘With Me,’ a hidden track, suggests a sound that Portishead may have produced if they had been from the Dirty South.

The only fault I can see with this release is the band’s name and that’s only because google throws up a bunch of news articles about abuse in the Catholic Church when typing in ‘Arlington Priest.’ Otherwise this is a brilliant debut that exhibits exceptional harmonies that is well worth tracking down.
(9 out of 10 rating)

Husband-and-wife team Rhett and Jill McAllister have been performing their brand of tender, singer/songwriter-style Americana as Arlington Priest for three years now. "The Memory of Your Company" is the duo's first studio CD, wherein they're joined by select guests including Clay Cook, Mark Van Allen and Russell Cook of The Little Country Giants. The tunes are rich and varied, and Jill's robust pipes provide a colorful contrast to her mate's lonesome, workingman's voice. At their well-attended release show last month at Eddie's Attic, they debuted their new full band lineup which included a pair of ex-Tender Idols.

THE MARRYING KIND: The Atlanta husband-and-wife team celebrates the release of a sparkling new CD called "The Memory of Your Company." A sweet and worldly melancholy runs through this rootsy batch of beautiful tunes and even more beautiful harmonies. The voices of Rhett and Jill McAllister achieve a distinctive blend, but the female half of the duo is especially impressive when she takes the lead. She's forceful on the rocking "Almost Home" and delivers the title track with quiet intensity. It's an album of simple, satisfying pleasures.

After three years of persistent performing and several unsuccessful tries, Decatur acoustic scene regulars Jill and Rhett McAllister have finally released a full-length studio album. Joined by a team of talented players, the duo's songs resonate with the warm strum of gentle, intelligent Americana that doesn't pander to current trends. Eschewing unnecessary country plunk, it stands as a delicate example of modern, defiantly independent folk rock. Producer Will Robertson wisely jumps right into the mix, adding bass, piano, organ, guitar, mandolin and even tambourine, building a nice and easy-swaying framework for the Arlington Priest one-two punch. The dual vocals of the married McAllisters, with their rich, varied textures of timbre, inform the songs with a gauzy, vaguely retro flavor, tinting each delicate memory play like a sun-faded photograph. 4 (out of 5) stars

Rhett and Jill McAllister of husband-and-wife Atlanta folk duo (now folk band) Arlington Priest call upon some impressive names -- including Russell Cook of the talented bluegrass trio Little Country Giants, pedal steel pro Mark Van Allen and singer-songwriter-guitarist Clay Cook -- to flesh out their debut studio release. And so "The Memory of Your Company" is a bright, professional effort. Accessible, clutter-free arrangements (the college-radio-friendly "Almost Home") and a strong sense of dynamics (like the way Ned Henry's violin sounds like a sweeping string section on "Petersburg") make for a confident, full-sounding record.

But the dynamic that really drives "Memory" is the complementary one between the principals themselves. Indeed, there are moments -- wispy, sneeze-and-you'll-miss-them flashes -- when the McAllisters almost conjure echoes of Richard and Linda Thompson. For singer-guitarist Rhett, that's not much of a stretch; his stately tenor often recalls Richard Thompson's sense of pained elegance, especially on "Long Day" or "Solomon," when he asks, "Should all things perish for the games we play?"

Jill, meanwhile, sings with a charismatic warmth, largely avoiding the affectation that hobbles so many female rock and country singers; while some lines flutter over several notes, threatening an attack of "American Idol" melisma, she also shows admirable restraint in the service of the organically soaring melodies that drive "The Stone," "Dustin," and "Almost Home." (Not everyone, after all, can belt like Jennifer Nettles and pull it off.) The tradeoff between vocalists keeps things from becoming stale, adding another agreeable layer to this assured debut. 3 stars (out of 4)

Review: The Memory of Your Company

With their 2006 release, "The Memory of Your Company," husband and wife duo Rhett and Jill McAllister claim their spot among the singer/songwriter crowd with lyrics that tap into life experiences everyone can relate to and harmonies that convey how couples support each other in a thousand subtle ways.

Track 1, “Long Day,” sets the couple in both singer/songwriter and Americana territory. The lyrics are front and center with pedal steel and banjola adding mood around the edges. It's a mournful song about weariness that gets an inner energy from Jill's supporting harmonies.

On track 4, “Mexico,” Jill's vocals demonstrate a mastery of voice that's rare among the singer/songwriter set. It's strong, beautiful, and at peace. Rhett's backing vocals add warmth in the same way that Jill's do on “Long Day.”

I'm a sucker for traveling songs, so track 5, “Almost Home” felt good to me and it showcases the couple's talent for finding the harmonies that dig deep into your soul. Track 6, “Sarah,” features lead vocals from Rhett that hits the sweet spot between conversational and melodical making the song feel confessional and sincere without being weepy.

But the standout track, which seems to have been a late addition to the CD, is “With Me.” It's a haunting arrangement built around an ancient sounding piano that brings out the best of the couple musically, lyrically, and vocally and reminds me of some of Roseanne Cash's best work.