Rolling Golden Holy

Rolling Golden Holy straddles the realms of acoustic roots, indie rock, jazz, folk, country and pop. Drawing upon that mash-up of assumed influences and personal druthers, Anaïs Mitchell (of Hadestown and Broadway fame), Josh Kaufman and Eric D Johnson, ably accompanied by drummer JT Bates and bassist/saxophonist Mike Lewis, have crafted a worthy follow-up to the band’s eponymously titled 2020 debut album (reviewed in May 2020, #157).

Over the course of ten originals, the album celebrates the chemistry that only comes from shared experience, perspective and commitment. The music doesn’t strike the ears on a deeply visceral level; instead, it calls for thoughtful listening and an affinity for slick presentation. From the sweetly swinging banjo-sax-guitar combo on ‘Sweetbread’ to Mitchell’s anthemic vocal inflection on ‘Fleur de Lis’ to the loping rhythm of ‘Summer Dream’, Bonny Light Horseman meld elements of a subtle and varied nature into a pleasingly substantive whole.