This is a collection of ten songs about the cycle of life which includes songs commemorating the birth of a nephew and the loss of a grandmother (When You Bloom and No Good Time For Dyingrespectively).
The tunes also encompass the cycle of progress and decline in the United States with song titles specifically name-checking The Rust Belt, Wyoming and Colorado.
Rachel Baiman is originally from Chicago, but moved to Nashville at eighteen. Fiddle music was her first love and she first made her name in the bluegrass and old-time world with Christian Sedelmyer in the duo 10 String Symphony. As a solo artist, acoustic guitar is her main instrument.
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Cycles was recorded in Australia and apparently partly inspired by Melbourne’s burgeoning grunge rock scene although it’s hard to hear much trace of this as the album fits squarely into the Americana genre. This is a pity because the record needs an injection of something to make it more memorable. As it stands, the tunes are pleasant enough but none stand out and it all seems a bit same old, same old.
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