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The New Faith

by Jake Blount

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rdale131
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rdale131 Rushed over to see if Jake was on Bandcamp as soon as I heard him on the latest ETown episode. Excited to hear all of this!
Aaron J. Shay (he/him)
Aaron J. Shay (he/him) thumbnail
Aaron J. Shay (he/him) Apocalyptic musical storytelling that draws influence from folk, soul, bluegrass, hip-hop, talking blues, and many more Black artforms that I'm not knowledgeable enough to speak on. Absolutely killer listening experience, play this album to relieve some of your climate grief. Favorite track: Didn’t It Rain.
Paco
Paco thumbnail
Paco Total unexpected brilliance. The most vivid answer I've seen to the question 'What will be left on earth after 2021?': A wandering group singing spirituals. Favorite track: Once There Was No Sun.
severintheinert
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severintheinert Hello!
I still haven’t recieved my Jake Blount pre-order.
I recieved no answer on my e-mail. Neitger to Folkways Recordings nor to Bandcamp.

I payed for that record and I am a huge fan and would really like to recieve my CD.

Best regards,
Severin.
redkayak
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redkayak Give Up the World & Downward Road are favorites. The whole album is terrific!
John Seltenreich
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John Seltenreich I can hardly wait for the release.
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  • Streaming + Download

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      $10 USD  or more

     

  • Record/Vinyl + Digital Album

    NOTE: Due to supply chain issues and manufacturing delays, the LP is slated for early 2023. The bundle will ship when both the LP and shirt are available.

    Bundle featuring Jake Blount's 'The New Faith' album on LP and t-shirt. (All US orders will be shipped USPS media mail.) [note: photos are mock-ups of actual products]

    Standard weight and standard color vinyl LP in a single pocket jacket with liner notes insert. This shirt features engravings from Jake Blount's signature, custom-made fiddle. Printed in celebration of Blount's new album The New Faith, this shirt is printed on a black Bella + Canvas jersey t-shirt, and is available in multiple sizes as supplies last.

    Includes unlimited streaming of The New Faith via the free Bandcamp app, plus high-quality download in MP3, FLAC and more.
    ships out within 10 days
    Purchasable with gift card

      $36 USD or more 

     

  • Compact Disc (CD) + Digital Album

    Bundle featuring Jake Blount's 'The New Faith' album on CD and t-shirt. (All US orders will be shipped USPS media mail.) [note: photos are mock-ups of actual products]

    CD in digipak case with liner notes insert. This shirt features engravings from Jake Blount's signature, custom-made fiddle. Printed in celebration of Blount's new album The New Faith, this shirt is printed on a black Bella + Canvas jersey t-shirt, and is available in multiple sizes as supplies last.

    Includes unlimited streaming of The New Faith via the free Bandcamp app, plus high-quality download in MP3, FLAC and more.
    ships out within 10 days
    Purchasable with gift card

      $31 USD or more 

     

  • Record/Vinyl + Digital Album

    **NOTE** Due to vinyl manufacturing delays and supply chain issues, the release date on the vinyl edition of 'The New Faith is to be determined, estimated early 2023.

    Standard weight and standard color vinyl LP in a single pocket jacket with liner notes insert. [note: the photo is a mock-up image]

    All US orders will be shipped USPS media mail.

    Includes unlimited streaming of The New Faith via the free Bandcamp app, plus high-quality download in MP3, FLAC and more.
    ships out within 10 days
    Purchasable with gift card

      $20.98 USD or more 

     

  • Compact Disc (CD) + Digital Album

    CD in digipak case with liner notes insert. [note: photo of product is a mock-up image]. All US orders will be shipped USPS media mail.

    Includes unlimited streaming of The New Faith via the free Bandcamp app, plus high-quality download in MP3, FLAC and more.
    ships out within 10 days
    Purchasable with gift card

      $16.98 USD or more 

     

  • T-Shirt/Shirt

    This shirt features engravings from Jake Blount's signature, custom-made fiddle. Printed in celebration of Blount's new album The New Faith, this shirt is printed on a black Bella + Canvas jersey t-shirt, and is available in multiple sizes as supplies last.

    All US orders will be shipped USPS media mail. [note: photo is mock-up of actual product]
    ships out within 10 days
    Purchasable with gift card

      $22 USD or more 

     

1.
Take me to the water Take me to the water Take me to the water To be baptized We gather here today to confess and be cleansed in the eyes of our creator We gather here to be washed clean of the sins of humanity We gather here to reject the greed of our forefathers Here, where dead sea meets withered land We see the jagged remnants of the old cities piercing the tops of the waves, and they pierce our hearts with the revelation: Yours and the earth’s are all the glories that endure. And for all our toil, in the end We must submit to your judgment As they did. Chant: Judgment/Judgment Bar For it is the fate of all humankind to be judged. Our forefathers took without giving, took without need -- took things that they had neither desire nor use for, and threw them away. They covered the face of the ancient planet in newborn desert. They melted the ice at the ends of the earth, drowned the coast, Emptied seas and forests of life, Filled the very oceans with fire, And were judged. You see the verdict there, in yonder drowned city. We, their children, are cursed to wander, Deprived of land that can sustain us by our own ancestors. But we keep the stories. We remember what set man on the downward road
2.
Now look at our old wicked fathers, Thought they were doin’ mighty well But when they come to find out They done made up a bed in hell Now the downward road is Crowded, crowded, crowded Crowded, Lord, believe it’s so Crowded, crowded, crowded Crowded, Lord, believe it’s so Gather round, gather round, Lo, I’ve seen what the trickster hid! Hear the sound of a king tryna get it The water rising, surrounding everybody that’s in it And little Silas wanna come home All he got is a cot that he drum on Whole family poor, he was taught not to run from it When you come from it And the king ain’t never alone, A feeling Silas thought that he never would know The king mean, said he homegrown That his upbringing showed him it all, it’s nothing he don’t know The water rose, but he a old soul He feel like he seen everything He been outside like a evergreen As for Silas, he just want a chance The king got the means to, but he don’t wanna ask Silas got over and took over, the same king in the story Still running from his past Now look at my old grasping ruler, Thought he was doin’ mighty well But when he come to find out He done made up a bed in hell Well the downward road is Crowded, crowded, crowded Crowded, Lord, believe it’s so Crowded, crowded, crowded Crowded, Lord, believe it’s so Gather round, gather round, Lo, I’ve seen what the trickster hid In a town where a means to a end would amount to a piece of the pie Joe and Louie like peas in a pod, they wanna even the odds They heard about the water rising Made a plan to take advantage, had to enterprise it Saw an opportunity, Louie was set, as soon as Joey said “it’s a bet.” We can sell a boat, and can sell a boatload more for sure If we never settle the debt, lo and behold and nevertheless, The water rose Probably shoulda known the quickest thing that would sink The irony is, is probably a pot of gold By the end the means made the man, the sin, the pain, When it’s too late to do what you can Ain’t no making amends, the king know He bought one of them boats, too, the king though Now look at us, my wicked brothers We think we’re doing mighty well, But when we come to find out We done made up a bed in Children, the downward road is Crowded, crowded, crowded Crowded, Lord, believe it’s so Crowded, crowded, crowded Crowded, Lord, believe it’s so Crowded, crowded, crowded Crowded, Lord, believe it’s so Crowded, crowded, crowded Crowded, Lord, believe it’s so
3.
Didn't it rain, children Oh yes, didn't it (Didn't it?) You know it did (Didn't it?) Didn't it, woah my lord Didn't it rain Well it rained forty days, it rained forty nights Wasn't no land nowhere in sight God sent the raven to spread the news Hoist his wings and away he flew To the east, to the west, north to the south All day, all night, how it rained, how it rained Tell me, didn't it rain, a-rain, a-rain, children Rain, oh my lord Didn't it (Didn't it?) You know it did (Didn't it?) Didn't it, woah my lord Didn't it rain Knock at the window, knock at the door Cryin' brother, can't you take a couple more Brother said, well, your wallet looks a little thin, If you can't pay, you'd better learn to swim Water risin' (In the mornin') Water risin' (At noon) Water risin' (In the evening) Keep a-risin' all day long, Keep a-risin' all night long Tell me, didn't it rain, a-rain, a-rain, children Rain, oh my lord Didn't it (Didn't it?) You know it did (Didn't it?) Didn't it, woah my lord Didn't it rain Tell me, didn't it rain, a-rain, a-rain, children Rain, oh my lord Didn't it (Didn't it?) You know it did (Didn't it?) Didn't it, woah my lord Didn't it rain Tell me, didn't it rain, a-rain, a-rain, children Rain, oh my lord Didn't it (Didn't it?) You know it did (Didn't it?) Didn't it, woah my lord Didn't it rain Tell me, didn't it rain, a-rain, a-rain, children Rain, oh my lord Didn't it (Didn't it?) You know it did (Yes!) Didn't it, woah my lord, Didn't it rain
4.
Lord, I wonder will I ever, get back home Lord, I left my love and the baby in the wreckage, cryin’ Daddy, please don't go Lord, it must have been the devil that pulled me here Lord, I’m all down and out Lord, if I ever get back home, I’ll never do wrong
5.
Parable 02:20
After humanity’s debt to the planet came due, our ancestors crawled from the wreckage of their sunken cities, and out of the deserts where once they had grown food enough for millions. Chance brought 30 survivors together, hundreds of miles to the south of here. Worn down by storms and starvation, they set their sights northward, and followed the coast to find a new home. In the first days of their journey, they encountered three storms, and had no protection. The first storm killed four. The second took two. The survivors had warning of the third, for by then they knew what weather-signs to look for. In their haste to find shelter, they unknowingly entered the ruins of the old capitol. The storm trapped them there, and they fell victim to lingering poisons in the air and water. Their minds became clouded. Many were stricken with fever and flux. Twelve died. The survivors continued northward, and when they came upon more ruins, they kept walking. As they drew closer to the island on which we now dwell, they encountered more survivors fleeing to the north. As the roads grew crowded with desperate refugees, so too they became rife with thievery and killing, and three were lost to bandits on the road. Six others were falsely accused of banditry, and were lynched by other travelers. The survivors kept to themselves after that. Our ancestors were judged for their role in despoiling the earth, along with the rest of their generation. Their penalty was decimation. When they arrived on this island, only three of the original thirty remained.
6.
Woah, Death, have mercy Hah, Death, have mercy Oh, Death, have mercy Spare me over another year If I was a flower in my bloom and Make Death cut me down so soon Oh, Death, have mercy Hah, Death, have mercy Oh, Death, have mercy Spare me over another year Fallen in you like I resolve something new Like I belong in dispute Proof in the pudding, balance in my footin I stood where I could, now I’m fallin for you Coulda sawed me in two pieces Heart on my sleeve, and the blood coulda drew leeches You a fantasy, and one I plan to keep Drawing lines in the sand that’ll reach between two beaches I’m sure of it, walking hand in hand Makin’ a plan to go and get to the core of it My heart’s iron-solid, you make ore of it My entire mind and body for sure toughened You gotta love it Have mercy on me, I don’t know more’s coming I can't force it, you lord above it Praise you, I of course covet Implore you to bring another morning, I’m mourning Those who never knew you, nor them Still wishing you’d ignore them, Hoping I’d be more important Your love I need more than portions, blood coursin’ I feel it morph, and I’m wonderin’ Oh, what is this that I can’t see, Cold icy hands all over me Oh, Death, have mercy Hah, Death, have mercy Oh, Death, have mercy Spare me over another year Could I live for you, till your list gets ‘spanded I’m again born new, could I begin adorned, too I know many get lost, I feel I’m torn, too I know you pull strings, I feel I’m more in tune Now that it’s my turn This is between us, feel like my life’s curse Feelings come out in the dark, limited spark I know that light work Wool over eyes, pull it apart Tell me where the infinite start, End in a split second Mercy on my soul, no I can’t catch it Though it’s for sure definite And you voicing your name is the most deafening Oh, this is the way that death begins, it Close your eyes and stretch your limbs Oh, Death, have mercy Hah, Death, have mercy Oh, Death, have mercy Spare me over another year
7.
I am a poor pilgrim of sorrow Tossed in this wild world alone I have no hope for tomorrow I’m tryin’ to make heaven my home Sometimes our boat’s tossed and driven Sometimes I know not where to roam I’ve heard of a city called heaven I’ve started to make it my home My mother has received bright glory My fathers did walkin’ in sin My brothers and sisters won’t own me Because I am tryin’ to get in Sometimes our boat’s tossed and driven Sometimes I know not where to roam I’ve heard of a city called heaven I’ve started to make it my home Hark, what is that calling My blood runs so chilly, and so slow The ones who have gone before me Gon’ pilot me through as I go Sometimes our boat’s tossed and driven Sometimes I know not where to roam I’ve heard of a city called heaven I’ve started to make it my home
8.
They are waiting for me Oh they are waiting for me Oh what a glad meeting That’s going to be Oh, waiting for me They are waiting for me I got loved ones They are waiting And watching for me If ever I cross over this dark rolling tide Oh, what a glad meeting that’s going to be And then when I step into those beautiful pearly white gates My loved ones, they are waiting There for me Yeah, they are waiting and watching for me They are waiting and watching for me Oh, what a glad meeting that’s going to be They are waiting and a-watching for me Lord, they are waiting and watching for me I got loved ones, they are waiting And watching for me My dear loving, loving mother awaits on that shore To clasp me again to her breast And she left this old world shouting the praises of my god And by the angels she was carried On to rest And they are waiting and watching for me And they are waiting and watching for me Oh what a glad meeting that’s going to be They are waiting and a-watchin’ for me They are waiting and watching for me I got loved ones, they are waiting And watching for me Oh, dear father and brother And kindreds, they are gone To dwell in that country so fair And while I still linger on time’s silver shore My loved ones, they are waiting Up there They are waiting and watching for me They are waiting for me Oh, what a glad meeting that’s going to be Oh, waiting for me They are waiting for me I got loved ones, they are waiting And a-watchin’ for me They are waiting and watching for me Oh, they’re waiting and watching for me Oh what a glad meeting that’s going to be They are waiting and watching for me They are waiting and a-watching for me I got loved ones, they are waiting And watching for me
9.
Psalms 02:54
In the depths of their shared destitution, and the hardship of their northward exodus, our ancestors found new wisdom. As more refugees joined the three survivors on this island, and children started to be born, they turned their minds to the preservation of that wisdom, that their progeny might survive and know the truths of the world. Attend the Psalms of the Sentinel. The seeds of avarice germinate, in time, within every generation, every man and every nation. Such execrable growths must be taken up by the roots. What shall we do with the snake in the garden? Cut off its head! A ship lost in violent seas has but two hopes: strong hands on the helm, and sharp eyes on the compass. What aid do the heavens provide when death walks among us? Two feet to flee upon! The path from cradle to grave is tortuous. A wise traveler will keep their companions close. What is crueler than wandering? To wander alone! Attend the Psalms of the Gravedigger. At the first and the last, and on all the dark days in between, all humanity prays the same prayer to the same immortal. From this original prayer comes every other. What is the first prayer? Spare me, O Death. Many thousands have gone; only a small remnant survives. Ever shall the part grieve the loss of the whole. Where are the lost ones? Gone, and no returning; but we remember them. Where can one know love without grief? On a distant shore. Attend the Psalms of the Teacher. Every life has an ending. Every human being will have a final day. How shall we endeavor to meet ours? Knowing that we have done what is right. Trouble not with worldly possessions, for all that is made must one day be unmade. Who can hold the things of this earth forever? Death, and death alone. Remember the ultimate destiny of all things that walk. What is the course of civilization’s march? From dark, to light, to dark again.
10.
Just as well to get ready, you got to die Just as well to get ready, you got to die It may be tomorrow, Can’t tell the minute nor the hour Just as well to get ready, you got to die Just as well to live in union, you got to die Just as well to live in union, you got to die It may be tomorrow, lord You can’t tell the minute or the hour, Just as well to live in union, you got to die Just as well to love your enemies, you got to die Just as well to love your enemies, you got to die It may be tomorrow, Can’t tell the minute nor the hour, Just as well to love your enemies, you got to die Oh, when that roll is called up yonder High on a mountaintop Oh there’s gonna be separation Bid farewell to every nation, when the roll And I’ll be Just as well to get ready, you got to die Just as well to get ready, you got to die It may be tomorrow, Can’t tell the minute nor the hour Just as well to get ready, you got to die
11.
The sun give a light in the heaven all around, The sun give a light in the heaven all around, The sun give a light in the heaven all around, Why won't you give up the world? The sun give a light in the heaven all around, The sun give a light in the heaven all around, The sun give a light in the heaven all around, Why won't you give up the world? My brother (Don't you give up the world!) My brother (Don't you give up the world!) My brother (Don't you give up the world!) We must leave this world behind My brother (Don't you give up the world!) My brother (Don't you give up the world!) My brother (Don't you give up the world!) We must leave this world behind Don't you give up the world, don't you believe You have more than enough to learn, you too young to leave You and I were in similar places Couldn't consider the intricacy of simple life, now I'm just a fan of the basics We live in a matrix Limitless angles depending on your imagination Fathom the pattern of Fibonacci, Babblin' monkeys who battle over malarkey, it's funny, innit How could you be fully yourself if your tummy isn't You eating yourself alive, dog But you mean well But you gotta understand that you're way too human to get the details Relax, look up One thing God gon' do is stay on the cook-up, leave the enemy shook up Everything is everything, it ain't a thing to us Just feel the energy of what our mamas sang to us The moon give a light in the heaven all around, The moon give a light in the heaven all around, The moon give a light in the heaven all around, Why won't you give up the world? The moon give a light in the heaven all around, The moon give a light in the heaven all around, The moon give a light in the heaven all around, Why won't you give up the world? My brother (Don't you give up the world!) My brother (Don't you give up the world!) My brother (Don't you give up the world!) We must leave this world behind My brother (Don't you give up the world!) My brother (Don't you give up the world!) My brother (Don't you give up the world!) We must leave this world behind If you gon give up the world, then what's the world? What's the word on it? Is that really that thing with the grass and birds on it? And all the animals? You tryna tell me that everything out here is tangible? What about love and gravity? What about humanity not defined by anatomy? What about the feeling on the back of your neck when you leave a room? Or the fact that your mama can always see through you? You wanna give up the world, then what's the world, bro? Write it down carefully, be sure to be thorough The moon and the light, the mood of the night, the food hittin' right The fool in the pool, whatever you write, you gon' do it twice Cuz it ain't the world, it's what you know about it If you gon' give up something, Give up whatever you wouldn't take were you to go around it Give up the only world you know about And I bet that you gon' work it out The star give a light in the heaven all around, The star give a light in the heaven all around, The star give a light in the heaven all around, Why won't you give up the world? The star give a light in the heaven all around, The star give a light in the heaven all around, The star give a light in the heaven all around, Why won't you give up the world? My brother (Don't you give up the world!) My brother (Don't you give up the world!) My brother (Don't you give up the world!) We must leave this world behind My brother (Don't you give up the world!) My brother (Don't you give up the world!) My brother (Don't you give up the world!) We must leave this world behind
12.
Once there was no sun Lordy, once there was no sun Oh, once there was no sun I heard the angels singin’ Do lord go down Do lord go down, Do lord go down Lordy I heard the angels singin’ Oh, once there was no moon Lordy once there was no moon Once there was no moon I heard the angels singin’ Do lord go down Do lord go down, Do lord go down I hear the angels singin’ Oh, once there was no light Once there was no light Once there was no light I hear the angels singin’ Do lord go down Do lord go down, Do lord go down I hear the angels singing Oh, this dark old world This dark old world This dark old world I hear the angels singin’ Do lord go down, Do lord go down, Do lord go down, I hear the angels singing Oh I am so glad I am so glad I am so glad I hear the angels singin’ Do lord go down, Do lord go down, Do lord go down, I heard the angels singing

about

'The New Faith' will be released on September 23rd, 2022 on CD/digital and early 2023 on LP.

'The New Faith' tells an Afrofuturist story set in a far-future world devastated by climate change. Jake Blount and his collaborators embody a group of Black climate refugees as they perform a religious service, invoking spirituals that are age-old even now, familiar in their content but extraordinary in their presentation. These songs, which have seen Black Americans through countless struggles, bind this future community together and their shared past; beauty and power held in song through centuries of devastation, heartbreak, and loss.

Learn more: folkways.si.edu/jake-blount/the-new-faith

credits

released September 23, 2022

Produced by Jake Blount and Brian Slattery
Featuring Demeanor, D’orjay The Singing Shaman, Samuel James, Kaïa Kater, Lizzie No, Mali Obomsawin, Brandi Pace, Rissi Palmer, and Lillian Werbin.
Recorded in: Firehouse 12, Acadia Recording Co., but mostly my bedroom, Brian’s house, and Mali’s shed.
Mixed by Joseph DeJarnette (Studio 808a)
Mastered by Mike Monseur, Axis Audio, Nashville, TN
Annotated by Jake Blount
Executive producers: Daniel E. Sheehy and John Smith
Production manager: Mary Monseur
Production assistant: Kate Harrington
Editorial assistance by James Deutsch
Photos by Tadin Brego
Cover illustration by Abbey Pechman
Art direction, design and layout by Caroline Gut

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Jake Blount Providence, Rhode Island

Jake Blount is an award-winning banjoist, fiddler, singer and scholar. He has studied with modern masters of old-time music, including Bruce Molsky, Judy Hyman (of the Horse Flies), and Rhiannon Giddens and Hubby Jenkins (of the GRAMMY-winning Carolina Chocolate Drops). Although he is proficient in multiple old-time styles, he specializes in the music of Black and Native American communities. ... more

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