Spotlight Album Review: Milk Carton Kids "I Only See The Moon"

The Milk Carton Kids became instant hits when they showcased at the Folk Alliance conference in 2011. The supple harmonies of Kenneth Pattengale and Joey Ryan, the interplay of their guitars, and their hilarious stage banter seemed like a cross between Simon & Garfunkel and the Smothers Brothers.  They quickly built a national following, earning critical raves and Grammy nominations in 2013 and 2015. Producer extraordinaire Joe Henry was an early champion, though they didn’t work until 2018’s All the Things I Did and All the Things That I Didn’t Do, which won another Grammy nomination for Best Engineered Album, Non-Classical. With their new album I Only See the Moon, The Milk Carton Kids have moved away from Joe Henry’s more produced sound and returned to what they do best: superb songs in a stripped-down setting.

Pattengale and Ryan began the album in the fall of 2021, with the pandemic in full sway. Taking advantage of their own studio in L.A., with Pattengale producing, they realized that they had “All of the Time in the World to Kill,” which just happens to be the title of the opening track. Perhaps thinking of Covid, the first lines are: “The world won't end the way you think or when you think it will/Time’s a thief, why are we standing still?” It goes on to say,

I love you now like I loved you then
The world must still be spinning
Forever stay in my arms this way
We've got all of the time in the world to kill.

Thus, several of the album’s themes – time, romance, and memory – are established. The minor key gem, “Wheels and Levers” (with a gorgeous melody and Kenneth’s stunning guitar work) has the lines “Time slips on graciously/Through the wind I learn to say one more ‘I love you’ that fades away.” That segues into the title track, “I Only See the Moon,” with Kenneth’s lush string arrangement (the only one on the album) and the sentiment, “time stands still until the waves break overhead then wash away… I almost do remember you/I only see the moon.”

Joey breaks out a banjo on a couple of tunes. “When You’re Gone” is one that evokes memory: “The songs you loved to sing they are still ringing in my ears/The love you gave to me I am still holding on to all of these years.” “Star Shine” is another memory song: “In motel walls echoing/I still hear you sing/And I remember everything.” Shades of John Prine? (He was one of their influences, though Gillian Welch and David Rawlings are the most obvious.) And Joey’s sweet finale, “Will You Remember Me”:

Will you remember me?
When we were young?
When we had nothing?
When we had nowhere to be?

Now both over 40, Kenneth and Joey are experiencing maturity (Joey has two kids and Kenneth is a cancer survivor), though if you believe “Running on Sweet Smile,” perhaps with some ambivalence:

I am under attack and I can’t fight back
I can’t even see what’s hanging on my back
Is it a targeting?
Is it a beast of rage?
Either way I never act my age
I’m running free, I’m running wild
I’m running still, running child
Running down my burden
Running on, sweet smile

Among all the well-crafted songs, the true masterpiece is “North Country Ride,” written about Kenneth’s wife’s uncle, who died in the fall of 2021. It starts at a leisurely pace, like a horse walking or trotting, then builds over six minutes with swelling multi-tracked vocals.

Let’s take the north country ride
Where it stays light so far into the night
We’ll keep the moon in our eyes / We’ll keep our eyes on the prize
Breathe the ions until everything feels alright

The destination ahead is hopeful. Despite some uncertainty over the years, Pattengale and Ryan, like an old married couple, have come to recognize what they love and do best - the pure musicality of their seamless blend – and we’re the beneficiaries of their brilliance.

Photo by Brendan Pattengale