Prettiest Blue
Bird On The Wing, 2022
9/10
A duo from Pittsburgh with a penchant for old time sounds, Ellen Gozion (vocals, banjo, harmonium) and Emily Pinkerton (vocals, banjo, guitar, fiddle) birth soothing harmonies and slow burning song craft on these really pretty 5 songs.
“The Ballad Of Johnny Fall” opens the listen with Pinkerton’s hypnotic banjo playing alongside Gozion’s expressive singing that tells a dark tale and benefits from Nicole Myers’ cello, and “On A Dying Day” follows with Pinkerton contributing vocals and banjo as Gozion’s backing vocals and harmonium and Myers’s cello complement the subtly powerful display of vintage songwriting.
“Shakin’ Down The Acorns” take the middle spot and meshes fiddle, harmonium and cello into the rich, timeless instrumental, while “Bury Me Under The Weeping Willow”, the album’s best, is a bit more upbeat amid the warm guitar, cozy banjo and elegant cello as soothing vocal harmonies unfold.
“My Home’s Across The Blue Ridge Mountains” exits the listen and tells an emotive story of leaving and is quite stirring in its sparseness.
A listen that’s heavy on balladry and a genuine, spiritual demeanor, the pair cite their music aimed for those folks looking for ‘a place to slow down’, and this quick listen is a fine introduction to the beauty that The Early Mays possess.
Travels well with: Monica Taylor- Trains, Rivers & Trails; Laura Benitez And The Heartache- With All Its Thorns