 | | Reviews | | |  PO' GIRL
Vagabond Lullabies
Nettwerk/EMI 07245 864786 2 7
It's hard not to fall for the graceful second release from this Canadian once-duo-now- trio, which follows up last year's self-titled debut to good effect. The group's sound is built around the considerable guitar/voice talent of Trish Klein from the Be Good Tanyas while Allison Russell and new gal Diona Davies colour in the sound with vocals, frets 'n' fiddle, clarinet and a full supporting cast. They delight in rolling rootsy country, jazzy folk into a deceptively smooth ball and bouncing it over the back wall into your garden! Theirs is an old-timey sound with a refreshing take on homely basics where the lonesome sprawl of the Cowboy Junkies meets the hobo blues of Rickie Lee Jones.
The opening track Tell Me A Story sets the tone: languid lap steel, banjo, harmonica inbued with sublime harmonies plus a yearning hope of a lyric ("Your kisses hurt but your touch is charmed") and whilst drawing on traditional values, there's a certain amount of new ground broken. When CR Avery's rap (they term it rather charmingly 'spoken word') cuts in part way through Take The Long Way it's initially whaaaaaaat? territory, and has no right to work but, wonderfully, it sounds perfectly natural.
Reckless abandon is not the name of Po' Girl's game, rather a broad palette, subtly shaded with a confluence of styles - from the catchy, uplifting soul swell of Movin' On through to the old-fashioned romance of Trish's South Of Nowhere, it's never less than fascinating and a welcome reminder that 2004 Americana needn't equal "Now That's What I Call O Brother Where Art Thou? Vol.27!" A slow burner and more convincing with each listen, there is life and spirit in this album. It dances inside your head, very disarmingly indeed.
Clive Pownceby - November 2004
Have you listened to the album? Want to submit a review of your own?
Fill in the form below and tell us what you think. Please mention the album's name.
 | | | |
| | |  |
| | |
|
|
Folk & Acoustic
