Trees
Spruce And Maple, 2024
9/10
The multi-Grammy nominee Laurie Lewis handles guitar, lead vocals and fiddle across these 12 tracks, where bluegrass, old-time and folk ideas are present and appreciated.
“Just A Little Ways Down The Road” gets the listen off to a harmonic, bluegrass-friendly start, as Brandon Godman’s intricate fiddle and George Guthrie’s fluid banjo suit the melodic singing, and “Enough” follows with Hasee Ciaccio’s careful string bass and Tom Rozum’s harmony vocals that add much beauty to the intimacy.
Closer to the middle, “Quaking Aspen” places Patrick Sauber on banjo, as Lewis contributes fiddle alongside her poetic pipes, while the swift strings and expressive singing of “Long Gone”, a Bill Morrissey tune, is particularly memorable.
Arriving near the end, “Down On The Levee” offers a playful and charming album highlight, and “Rock The Pain Away” exits with a gentle, soothing finish of gorgeous instrumentation and pretty singing.
An influential figure in the area of American roots music, Lewis again impresses us with a nature-esque appeal that’s powerful, introspective and authentic.
Travels well with: Swift Silver- Swift Silver; Randy Steele- High Cold Wind