South Carolina Top 10 Albums of 2013

5) Stagbriar–Quasi Hymns, Murder-Ballads, and Tales of How the Hero Died

Stagbriar has made a name for themselves in Soda City with their 2013 release Quasi-Hymns, Murder-Ballads, and Tales of How the Hero Died. Alex and Emily McCollum achieved the perfect combination of eerie, cheery, sorrowful, and hopeful with this album and in doing so perfectly capture the essence of growing up in the Midlands. This record is a collection of subtle nuances that collectively shape the emotional makeup of each track and tie them all together. The subtleties lie in the sudden layering of harmonica, distortion, or the sweet harmonies the McCollums achieve with their complimenting voices but the album’s strengths don’t stop there. Stagbriar’s mature voices and lyrics indicate wisdom beyond their years, and their effortless mixture of folk, rock, indie, and blues are evidence of natural born talent rising above the merits of experience.

Emily Haney, Scene SC

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