Based in the foothills of Mount Baldy in California’s San Gabriel mountains, Baldy Crawlers is a musical endeavour that began with Martin Maudal, a Berklee College of Music graduate, producer and renowned luthier whose handmade instruments were initially intended to be the centrepiece of a simple showcase. The idea expanded into a collective, bringing together musicians from different backgrounds and allowing folk, Americana, Latin, jazz and social commentary to exist within the same musical setting.
The guitars played within the project are created by Martin through Maudal Musical Machines, giving the music a direct physical connection to the hands that build its instruments. Around him, Elizabeth Hangan and Norrell Thompson provide vocals, with Marc Weller on guitars and pedal steel, Carl Byron on accordion and Hammond B3, Ross Schodek on bass, José Perez on drums and percussion, and Martin contributing guitars, vocals and drums. Jonathan Montes also joins on piano, bringing an extensive musical background that includes work with Cheo Feliciano, Oscar D’León, Gilberto Santa Rosa and Víctor Manuelle.
Together, the group has created a sound that places emphasis on storytelling and human experience, while the arrangements move freely through their influences. Following the debut EP Fetished Heart in 2023, Baldy Crawlers continued developing their shared sonic vision with February’s “Boy” and a run of songs over the months that followed. Now their journey leads towards Fais Toi Plaisir, an ambitious three-chapter record accompanied by a growing set of bonus tracks and arriving complete on the 4th of December.
The record is designed as a journey, beginning with the deep folk of “Hatred?” before moving through “Waterfall Laughter” and ultimately reaching the Spanglish salsa of “Orbelín and the Black Widow.” The title itself carries a history. Fais toi plaisir, treat yourself, take your pleasure even in the face of this, was taken from a wall in the French Quarter after Katrina. The phrase, painted within a drowned city, becomes something both defiant and tender, while also reflecting the collision of English, Spanish and French associated with New Orleans.
Following “Hatred?,” Baldy Crawlers now reveal the second chapter with the brand new singl titled “Waterfall Laughter (La Tierra Ríe en Cascadas).” The song represents the shift point of the record, beginning as a laid back Latin folk groove before gradually finding its way towards a more danceable energy. It’s a bilingual love song to the earth, with singer Norrell Thompson beginning in English before moving into Spanish partway through the jam, not as a stylistic device but simply because that’s where the song went.
The recording brings together Jonathan Montes on piano, Marc Weller on pedal steel, Ross Schodek on bass, José Miguel Perez on drums, Cougar Estrada on percussion and Martin Maudal on acoustic guitar, with Martin also producing the track. Taking shape with the delicate plucks of acoustic guitar, the arrangement tumbles into place with the soft patter of percussion and airy pedal steel tones before slipping into a mellow groove where Norrell’s enticing vocal performance flickers above the intricate instrumentation to craft an inviting musical scene brimming with melodic charm and stunning musicianship.
Gliding with superb instrumental flourishes and twinkling piano touches, the song gathers pace and takes on a bouncy energy as rustling percussion and dancing instrumentation combines with lively vocalisations to form an engaging Latin-focused vibe. “Waterfall Laughter” is ultimately about connection, to the earth, to movement and to the spaces where language and music naturally overlap. Once again showcasing their songwriting flair and performance panache, with “Waterfall Laughter (La Tierra Ríe en Cascadas),” Baldy Crawlers delivers a stellar musical experience that’s impossible not to love and we can’t wait to see what they’ve got in store next.
Listen to Waterfall Laughter (La Tierra Ríe en Cascadas) below
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