Review: “The Weekend Preacher” by Evan Anstey & James Robert Kibby Review

Evan Anstey and James Robert Kibby are two Western New York folk musicians who had been releasing music in the scene for years when they decided to come together to work on a collaborative album titled “The Weekend Preacher.” The two are said to be really good friends, and nowhere is that more on display than in the music provided by this folk/bluegrass project. The half-hour-long album is very story-focused, with each song telling a unique tale. It makes for a very interesting and engaging album.

Released in August 2020, this album shows off two great under-the-radar musicians in folk music, an under-appreciated genre of WNY music.

Notable Tracks

The album starts off on a great note with “Sandbags On The Shore,” an upbeat, string-heavy song. The vocal performance here is one of the best of the album, with the energy and passion in Anstey and Kibby’s voices perfectly complementing the instrumentals. It’s no surprise this song is the album’s most popular track on streaming services.

Another high point of the record is “How Far They’ll Go,” which shows off the duo’s ability to write delicate music. It’s a great contrast to the album opener. This song tells the tale of various people, all with different stories yet connected through their mutual wonder about the future and “just how far they’ll go.” The instrumentals on this song are beautiful, and the guitar loop played throughout drew me into the narrative.

One last standout on this project is “Emerald City,” which once again shows off Anstey and Kibby’s songwriting ability. “It’s not quite the Emerald City, but it may just be the start” is such a beautiful line and encapsulates the theme that things don’t have to be perfect to be good enough. This is my personal favorite track from the album and one I keep coming back to.

Verdict

”The Weekend Preacher” is an album I would recommend to anyone looking to get into folk or bluegrass music (or anyone going on a road trip away from the city). I can’t wait to see what comes next from these two WNY musicians.

You can find “The Weekend Preacher” on Spotify, Apple Music, or anywhere you get your music.