This year Riley and I were honored to be included in several “best of” lists for 2021! Thanks so much to everyone who listened this past year. We appreciate you <3
1. Folk Radio UK : https://www.folkradio.co.uk/2021/12/best-albums-2021-folk-music-alternative/
“While this may be Vivian Leva & Riley Calcagno’s first album together, it’s another contender for the year best-of lists…It may not stray far from well-trod musical and thematic pathways, but the duo walk them with affection for the footprints in which they step.”
2. Folk Alley: https://folkalley.com/brad-kolodners-favorite-albums-of-2021/
“Steeped in the roots of old-time music, Vivian and Riley have a musical chemistry that runs deep. Vivian is the daughter of Carol Elizabeth Jones, a renowned ballad singer, and James Leva, a widely influential old-time fiddler. Riley grew up in the vibrant Pacific Northwest roots music community and founded the powerhouse stringband The Onlies of which Vivian is now a full-time member. Vivian’s debut album Time Is Everything (2018) on Free Dirt Records established her as one of the most promising young voices on the Americana scene. Blending aesthetics from old-time, classic country and indie-folk, their self-titled debut release marks a new chapter in this budding duo’s promising future.”
3. Sound and Soul: https://www.soundandsoulonline.com/2021/12/19/sound-and-souls-100-favorite-albums-eps-of-2021/
“Barely in their 20’s, these two shouldn’t be as good as they are. I know, I know– age is just a number! Of course, it helps that they’ve been playing since they could walk. Gorgeous and articulate songs that defy era.”
4. WMOT: https://www.wmot.org/roots-radio-news/2021-12-13/the-year-wmots-essential-and-outstanding-albums-of-2021
“Vivian Leva is a second-generation old-time and country artist from Lexington, VA, daughter of the duo Jones and Leva and a talent coming into her own in her early 20s. This duo album with partner Riley Calcagno on voice and varied instruments has many colors and influences, but it rolls effortlessly on its clean tones, lovely melodies and storytelling. Opener “Will You” recalls the revelatory purity of Gillian Welch’s first album, while “Hollowed Hearts” is a simply gorgeous country waltz. “Love And Chains” touches on a more contemporary sound with great success. It promises much more acoustic Americana in the years ahead.”
5. Fort Meyers Magazine: “An album that incorporates the stylings of American roots music, from the string-bands of Appalachia to the twang of Nashville to Cajun rhythms of Louisiana. Songs like ‘Leaving on Our Minds,’ ‘My Teardrops Say, ’‘Biding All My Time,’ and ‘Will You’ explore the themes of regret and heartbreak. But not all songs are forlorn, as ‘Good and Gone’ and ‘On Account of You’ are a bit more upbeat and hopeful.Although a collection of mostly moody and melancholy songs, Leva’s sweet vocals and the outstanding musicianship make for an enjoyable album by a young duo on the rise.”