Dishrag (label)
17 October 2011 (released)
16 October 2011
Why this is going out as a JT Nero album when the wonderful voice of Alison Russell (Po Girl) is an absolutely integral part of the music is beyond me. On the other hand what we get here is simply wonderful no matter who it is credited to.
10 beautiful songs about the state of the world played with a distractingly simple quality and two perfectly aligned voices. The music seems to cross from Roots Americana into the most delicious Soul & R&B seamlessly and the lyrics stand listening to time and again – I cannot remember an album that has been so intriguing this year.
The title track sums the two of them up perfectly with a gentle banjo clucking away behind Russell’s hearty vocal but when she breathes “There are mountains, there are forests, there are tiny electric sea-horses” a few hairs stand rigid on the back of your neck.
But then the hairs stay up through the next nine gems as the richness of the vocals and the delicious simplicity of the playing closes the soundstage so that you feel that the songs are aimed straight at you and no other.
No track stands out – they all bear repeated listening – but ‘Grey Ghost’ and ‘Mt Salvador What’s Happening’ seem to have been replayed most often.
This is one album that seems to grow better through repetition and I’m enjoying it more every time – might just be one of the top ten Americana albums this year or even top 5.
