The Ladles

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Springville Sessions

Self-Released, 2021

9/10

Listen to Springville Sessions

A trio of females consisting of Katie Martucci, Caroline Kuhn, and Lucia Pontoniere, who possess a penchant for gorgeous vocal harmonies, as The Ladles the artists embrace folk, pop, jazz, choral and chamber sounds across these very well thought out 9 tracks.

“Sunset Pink” starts the listen with warm banjo from Kuhn, as soft, expressive singing flows with much grace in the dreamy, folk friendly climate, and “Crushin’” follows with agile acoustic guitar as the three harmonize with much beauty lining the poetic delivery.

Elsewhere, “Thank You” benefits much from Pontoniere’s fiddle as intimacy and exploration enter the pop nods, while “Sugarcoat” is initially even more bare but no less pretty in its dreamy delivery. “Pages”, one of the album’s best, then emits a particularly reflective tone amid more forceful strumming as the three display their respective strengths in spades.

Landing near the end, the chunky banjo and soaring vocals of “T.O.B.S.” showcases sublime vocal layering in its mesmerizing presence, and “The Friends You Had” exits the listen with a rich, lush performance that finishes the absorbing listen much too early.

What began as a three week residency that was cancelled due to Covid, The Ladles made the best of the situation by penning this spontaneous album that often carries the demeanor of a live set. While this sort of timeless song craft often takes decades for a band to reach, The Ladles have done it on their sophomore LP, and let’s hope it’s part of a long list of future records, too.

Travels well with: Natalie Schlabs- Don’t Look Too Close; Sarah Morris- All Mine