There’s something about Crave On that has always defied categorization. Their catalog is full to the brim with songs arranged with acoustic guitar, violin, sparse percussion and something else. On 2019’s Ace on the Outspeaker, drum machines and synthesizers entered the mix. On 2022’s Slow Pulsing Rainbow, a trickle of electric guitar weaved its way in. With 2024’s Fantasy Hall, vibraphone appears on a handful of tracks. None of these things are defining characteristics about the band’s overall sound but, rather, serve as a testament to their exploration of creating rich textures.
That texture of Crave On can be difficult to articulate but never fails to allure. Patrick Orr’s vocal delivery is another element to the bands secret sauce – often languid, pondering and melancholy (“Ocean of Wires”) but other times wry, confident and optimistically buoyant (“Have You Heard the News”). Lyrically, the songs are dense poetry telling stories you are invited to partake in or simply enjoy as absurdist observations. Lead track “Orange Light in a Dark Room” being a perfectly fitting example of this phenomena; has our narrator actually been lobotomized? Are these stanza’s universal observations or offbeat ravings? Or is it just a series of syllables that appeals? You’ll have to actually pay attention to form an opinion.
Fantasy Hall doesn’t have a “sound” that fits any particular place or time or, quite frankly, any specific genre. It sounds like a record you could have accidentally stumbled across in a fit of vinyl crate digging. A gem of innovative arrangements, engaging lyrics and calming instrumentation. Crave On, like many bands in Nashville, contain a unique talent that should be heavily celebrated. With the right support, these songs would be played during an opening set for Wilco or to a sea of enamored listeners at the Newport Folk Festival. In the meantime, put Fantasy Hall on around a friend that’s unfamiliar and wait for the inevitable query from them to know more. It’s a gospel worth spreading.