This is the first and last mention I will make that these
are wonderful recordings, completemented by amazing video, so damn cool! Go
watch the videos…go! Not to mention that the music is just beautifully crafted
and pure.
I get bits of the Low Anthem with the rich vocal harmonies
and ever present clarinet wafting throughout the background noise. Raianne’s
voice is slightly reminiscent of Gillian Welch in some instances, giving the
duo’s sound a delicate nod to Gillian and Dave Rawlings, if for no other reason
than they complement each other perfectly. Mandeville has a strong, but cautious
vocal that really makes these songs approachable and makes you want to ease on
into them. The music is very rootsy, warm, and real.
Out of the 4 tracks in this Kettle Pot session I am really
digging on “Last Tree Standing”. Mandeville’s steady picking leads in with the
song, and those wonderful harmonies kick right in. The clarinet edges in for
the second verse, coiling around Mark’s guitar and vocal like a snake made of
smoke. It’s a very visual tune, it
speaks to me quite a bit, particularly the line around:
Your floor is someone’s ceiling, your ceiling is someone’s
floor
Somebody is pounding with their fists upon the door
That really brings me back to my first apartment out of
college. I was on the third floor out of a 4 story building and can close my
eyes and smell the paint on the walls, the musty closets, and muffled sounds of
my neighbors above and below. Being able to stir up such explicit memories from
a song is a real amazing feat.
The two of these artists simply supplement each other seamlessly.
I really don’t need to say more. The sound is surprisingly full for only two
people being in the group. The lyrics are affecting and genuine. Really, truly lovely
music here. I cannot wait to catch these two out at a live show soon…they will
be a part of the For the Sake of the Song (tribute to John Prine) series at Atwood's Tavern on November 14th.
No comments:
Post a Comment