Rachel Sumner & Traveling Light
Self-Released, 2022
8/10
Listen to Rachel Sumner & Traveling Light
The debut album from Rachel Sumner (vocals), Kat Wallace (fiddle, harmonies), Ira Klein (acoustic guitar), Alex Formento (pedal steel) and Mike Sigel (upright bass), the originals and covers here emit a very thoughtful and warm version of indie-folk that is a quite absorbing.
“Hunting Doves” starts the listen with warm, gentle acoustic guitar, as Sumner’s stunning, expressive singing guides the bare beauty that welcomes stirring fiddle, too, and “Unrecorded Night” follows with cozy strumming that showcases the moody pedal steel.
“Halfway Through” arrives in the middle, and is a very poetic and lush delivery of intimate song craft, while “Colleen”, a Joanna Newsom original, displays Sumner’s very diverse range amid some darker textures.
Close to the end, the aching pedal steel of “Homegrown Sorrow” emits so much sublime beauty amid the agile fiddle and strategic bass, and “The Arms Of Your Mother” exits with articulate story telling that’s paired with meticulous acoustic guitar.
A very fluid and timeless first effort, let’s hope that there’s more coming soon from Sumner and company, cause their careful version of indie-folk is absolutely worth repeated listens.
Travels well with: Heather Sarona- Head Above Water; Jane Bruce- My Bed