Airpark - Quiet Type: an Intimate Collection of New & Old (2021)

From the cover of Airpark’s latest EP, ‘Quiet Type: an Intimate Collection of New & Old,’ it could be hard for the uninitiated to realise that they are actually a duo. But in this case, Nashville brothers Ben and Michael Ford have decided to widen the circle of collaborators and take yet another direction.

While their initial album and EP were more rock and cinematic-sound oriented, the sound of ‘Quiet Type…’ is more in synch with its title and squarely falls under the new Americana sound that incorporates everything from countrified pop/rock (‘All The Time’) to alt-folk (‘Little Hollywood’) and shades of The Everly Brothers (‘Bring t Back My Way’).

There is a great sense of assuredness and ease with which Airpark approach their music, helped along with some excellent support from upright bassist Byron House (Robert Plant, Patty Griffin), pedal steel guitarist Spencer Cullum (Miranda Lambert, Steelism), and guest vocalists like Erin Rae, Valley Queen, and Nightingail.

Still, it is the Ford brothers that have the main role on this EP with their unified musical outlook which produces some excellent results. Too bad they couldn’t come up with a full-fledged album in these pandemic times. But, then, you can always re-play these five tracks a few more times.