Great Big Mama Sunshine
Enchantment, 2019
8/10
Listen to Great Big Mama Sunshine
This sophomore album from Moody Little Sister has the duo expanding from the piano-pop sensibilities of their early days into Americana ideas, as Naomi Sparrow and Rob Stroup bring in a small arsenal of musicians to help flesh out these cautious and dynamic 13 tracks.
The title track starts the listen with warm guitars alongside Sparrow’s pretty, smooth vocals as the instrumentation touches on all the things we love about Americana, and “711 Lucky Street” follows with a calmer but no less exciting setting of blues influenced fun.
Near the middle, “Tumbleweed” displays powerful and restrained rootsy rock, while “Nothing But No Good” relies heavily on soulful vocals in the breezy melodies of the heartfelt delivery. “I Let You Go”, one of the album’s best, then flows with lovely balladry that’s as timeless as it is poetic.
Near the end, “Tell Somebody” recruits a gospel feeling with plenty of backing vocal help from Flagship Romance and Skybound Blue, and “Northern Highway” ends the listen with a soothing jangle and busy delivery of lush and playful exploration.
Now based in New Mexico, these former Portland artists are starting over in a rural setting, and their music reflects that transition with extremely detailed, rich and often delicate song craft that you won’t soon forget.
Travels well with: Flagship Romance- Concentric; Calexico- Algiers