Narrow Line
Free Dirt, 2022
8/10
A Canadian folk duo consisting of Lisa Maria and Amy Lou Keeler, as Mama’s Broke the multi-instrumentalists bring plenty of vocal harmonies to their diverse Americana that welcomes a few guests, too.
“Just Pick One” starts the listen with warm, stirring acoustic guitar, where Andrew Horton’s upright bass and Joe Grass’ dobro complements the reflective tone, and “Oh Sun/Pale Night/Forgetting Reel” follows with banjo and fiddle interacting in a playful Americana sort of way.
“Narrow Line’, the best track, lands in the middle and recruits Maria’s banjo and Pierre Alexandre-Maranda’s upright bass in the very poetic delivery, while “Pick The Raisins From The Paska” spotlights Lou Keeler’s fiddlesticks via the dynamic instrumental.
Near to the end, “The Wreckage Drone” makes great use of Maria’s cello amid Keeler’s banjo acrobatics, and “Windows” exits the listen with soothing acoustic guitar and an emotive spirit to the very cautious and lyrically rich finish.
A very thoughtful record that touches on folk, blues, ragtime and old time sounds, too, thematically, the pair surround the cycles of life and death, and it makes for a very substantial body of work.
Travels well with: Allison de Groot & Tatiana Hargreaves- Hurricane Clarice; Justin Golden- Hard Times And A Woman