Album Review: From The Land Of Ruta Iš Rūtų Šalelės by Alice Stephens Singers
Listen up, folks. If you’re into folk music that punches you right in the soul and drags your ears across fields of nostalgia, then From The Land Of Ruta Iš Rūtų Šalelės is gonna slap you awake. This 1959 gem from the US—courtesy of Aliste Recording—is a wild ride through Lithuanian folk vibes with dashes of classical swag thrown in for good measure. Directed by Alice Stephens herself (yeah, she’s running this show), it's got heart, grit, and enough rustic charm to make you wanna grab a pitchfork and start hoeing potatoes.
Now, let me get one thing straight: this ain’t no polished pop record. It’s raw, unfiltered, and dripping with emotion. And damn, does it work. Two tracks stood out so hard they practically tattooed themselves on my brain—Sake Manę Šiokią and Išauš Pavasaris.
Sake Manę Šiokią hits like a hammer wrapped in velvet. You can feel the weight of tradition but also this weird joy bubbling under the surface. The harmonies are tight as hell, and there’s something about how the voices weave together that makes you want to cry and dance all at once. Like, what even IS that? Magic? Desperation? Both? Beats me, but it works.
And then there’s Išauš Pavasaris. Oh man, this track is pure springtime bottled up and poured straight into your ears. It’s hopeful, alive, and kinda messy in the best way possible. There’s a moment halfway through where the tempo shifts just slightly—it’s subtle, but it kicks you right in the chest. Feels like waking up after a long winter and realizing everything’s gonna be okay. Or not. Who knows with this album?
The ensemble behind these songs—the Alice Stephens Singers—are legit killing it. They don’t just sing; they tell stories without needing words most of us understand. Kudos to Josephine J. Dauzvardis for the liner notes too—I mean, someone had to explain why we’re losing our minds over tracks named things we can’t pronounce.
Here’s the kicker though: listening to this feels less like entertainment and more like an accidental history lesson. These songs carry centuries of culture on their backs, heavy as stones but still somehow light enough to soar. Weird flex, but I respect it.
So yeah, if you’re looking for something safe and predictable, skip this. But if you wanna dive headfirst into something raw, real, and kinda unhinged, give From The Land Of Ruta Iš Rūtų Šalelės a spin. Just don’t blame me when it messes with your head.
Final thought: Why isn’t this album blasting out of every farmer’s market speaker system in America? Seriously. Someone needs to fix that ASAP.
