Hurricane Clarice
Free Dirt, 2022
8/10
Allison de Groot brings her banjo skills to Tatiana Hargreaves’ incredible fiddle acrobatics here, where the pair mesh folk, Americana, country and bluegrass into a very unique and memorable 9 tracks.
The album leads with the warm strings and distinct vocal harmonizing of “The Banks Of The Miramichi”, and this dynamic bluegrass continues to the cautious and instrumental “Wellington”, as well as the swift, mountain-esque spirit of the melodic “Nancy Blevins”.
Halfway through, the sublime texturing of “Hurricane Clarice/Brushy Fork Of John’s Creek” makes for a mesmerizing album highlight, while “I Would Not Live Always” brings vocals back for the gritty yet very tuneful string manipulation. The final track, “The Road That’s Walked By Fools”, exits with an old time feel as the pair sing with a charming demeanor and play with incredible attention to detail.
A listen that contains history of both the families of de Groot and Hargreaves, you can hear the audio recordings of their grandmothers, as they pen a very thoughtful listen that will appeal to fans of anything related to bluegrass.
Travels well with: Ric Robertson- Carolina Child; Vivian Leva & Riley Calcagno- Vivian Leva & Riley Calcagno