Delicate Cutters
Photo by Jonathan Purvis
Delicate Cutters return in 2012 with Ring, their third album, second for Skybucket Records, due out August 14th. Not a revivalist outfit, not a gimmick band peddling an image as identity, Delicate Cutters are a band from the American South. Theirs is a music about the remarkable and mundane moments comprising a human existence. About the connective tissue found between them.
In 2011, Delicate Cutters released Some Creatures to numerous positive reviews, including a 7.8 from Paste and being named the best Alabama album for 2011 by Mod Mobilian. Over the course of two tours the lineup of Janet Simpson, Chance Shirley, Brian Moon, and Kevin Nicholson fortified the strength of their recorded body of work with a reputation for breathtaking live performances.
For Ring, Delicate Cutters opted to forgo the home studio for the first time. Recording at Ol Elegante Studio under the guidance of Lester Nuby III (Verbena, Vulture Whale, Maria Taylor, Wooden Wand) Delicate Cutters have delivered their most focused and dynamic performance to date. From the deep country haunt of Where the Cottonmouths Hung, the manic turn of Tilt-A-Whirl, to the slow burn of New Life and strung out revelations of Resurrection Fern, Delicate Cutters emerge as a band in full command of its voice and fearless in using it.
Press
"There's something irresistible about the juxtaposition of Janet Simpson's gorgeous voice and Kevin Nicholson's dancing fiddle that makes the Cutters sound quite unlike anyone else around at the moment."
— Uncut
"The record is a stunning piece of production—every note seems to have been given lengthy consideration to get the most out it. Delicate Cutters have achieved a new level in their music, making them certainly a band to watch out for."
— Slug
"...the songwriting cuts right to the touching heart of the matter with a winning directness and a refreshing dearth of pretense. A really haunting and moving little jewel. "
— Jersey Beat
"Showing much promise as it is already, Ring could possibly be one of those albums that brings the band to the next level."
— The Aquarian
"RING is their (Delicate Cutters) third record and they keep getting better with each release. "
— Dagger
"...this four-piece conjures alt-rock numbers textured by warm folk instrumentation, pop verve and thoughtful lyrics. Janet Simpson's buoyant voice is a gateway to stories of clumsy romance and bitter resolve. That emotional landscape is met by guitar, drums, fiddle, keys and bass, woven with either the right amount of melancholy or the perfect dose of upbeat irony."
— The Independent (Raleigh)
"If one must dip into the past for precedent, there’s something of prime Pentangle and June Tabor & The Oyster Band to them, though accented with the American South instead of the English countryside, preferring to glide on a Tilt-A-Whirl and hang their feet in the black waters where cottonmouths dwell."
— Dirty Impound
"While the tunes are a bit more polished it is chock full of all the things that made their previous records so damn good...Delicate Cutters are an example in how substance wins over style every time. "
— Atlanta Music Examiner
"Ring is a landmark record for Southern Rock-Americana folk outfit Delicate Cutters "
— Bitch
"The haunting, yet infectious tone of this record emulates some of the best work by artists like 10,000 Maniacs, however, Janet Simpson’s gorgeous lyrics and vocals transcend any influence or comparison to those that came before her. "
— The Fire Note
"They (Delicate Cutters) have an ethereal and fierce sound, which is highlighted all the more live with soaring fiddle lines that occasionally get lost on their records. They played to a small crowd in the Motorco Garage last night, but I like to think they made a few new fans, so they’ll come back, because they sure as hell impressed me. And I’d never have discovered Delicate Cutters if I hadn’t trusted a small label to steer me right."
— Brand New Kind of Photography
"Avoiding flagrant confessionalism for narrative detail, Simpson can project anger or irony or uncomfortable intimacy with equal ease, but more than that, she simply projects a personality on Some Creatures, reminding you that every song derives from a single, unique perspective."
— Paste
"When Delicate Cutters front woman Janet Simpson sings, her warm, inviting tone pulls you into her troubled and emotional world."
— Soma
"What really makes the Cutters fly is the complex arrangements by Simpson...The instrumental mix allows the band to color their tunes with swatches of sound not exactly common to the average indie rock ensemble. In particular, Nicholson's fiddle can take the music in country or classical directions that work well with Simpson's rhymes."
— Houston Chronicle
"Delicate Cutters open as locals who've gone through their own changes, and the new Some Creatures features chamber pop both jaunty and hauntingly beautiful."
— Black & White
"The Birmingham, Alabama quartet plays a warm and interesting mix of string-accented, folk-influenced indie-pop and rock. Lead singer-songwriter Janet Simpson’s haunting voice and atmospheric melodies coupled with the album’s intimate, low-fi recording style are reminiscent of Patti Smith’s more melancholic side."
— Muruch
"I had no expectations for this one, listened to it first thing yesterday morning, and it blew me out of the water. You can’t stay asleep listening to this album, you can’t stay still, and it’s likely to end up in my end of the year top 15, without competition."
— Brand New Kind of Blog
