Moonshine
AntiFragile, 2021
8/10
An outfit spearheaded by Maygen Lacey and Noah Neumann, as Maygen & The Birdwatcher the pair are in the company of Ethan (bass) and Jesse Moravec (fiddle, mandolin), Nik Pellinen (banjo, electric guitar) and Peter Anderson (drums) for a very folk, bluegrass and country friendly delivery.
“Change Is” opens the listen with soft vocals and bare percussion in an almost gospel sort of way that’s quite impactful in its sparseness, and “Dominé” follows with warm banjo amid a very rootsy appeal that’s full of gritty and pretty vocals from Lacey and Neumann.
Entering the middle, the swift fiddle and acoustic guitar of “Full Moons” makes for a timeless folk climate that benefits from poetic singing, while “Antidote” is a gorgeous display of Maygen’s stunning singing alongside mandolin, double bass and banjo.
Nearing the end, “Gunflint Lake” offers a cautious and pretty Americana influenced album highlight where Maygen’s range is on full display in a very eloquent landscape, and “Anytime” exits the listen a bit more rugged in its powerful and raw demeanor.
The inclusion of strings to Lacey and Neumann’s rootsy formula is certainly a nice addition, and their unique brand of Americana fits in quite well in the very fertile Twin Cities music scene.
Travels well with: The Jayhawks- XOXO; Sad Daddy- Way Up In The Hills