Beyond The Great Pause
Self-Released, 2023
8/10
Listen to Beyond The Great Pause
A pair of esteemed Canadian vocalists and multi-instrumentalists, Doug Cox and Linda McRae bring their inestimable talents to these very thoughtful songs that welcome a few guests and some covers to the timeless affair.
The title track opens the listen with warm acoustic guitar and McRae’s very eloquent singing in the bare folk climate as the duo pay tribute to John Prine, and “Last Song You Played” follows with Cox’s gritty yet inviting pipes that uses banjo strategically from McRae.
“Listen To The Water” lands in the middle, and it showcases Daniel Lapp’s agile fiddle and Cindy Larsen/Marcotte’s well timed backing vocals in the rich delivery, while “All Vine No Tater” is a powerful and very real take on life’s constant nuisances executed with a bit of playfulness.
Landing near the end, “Waterloo Sunset” brings Lapp’s fiddle back for the dreamy Ray Davies interpretation that has Cox hitting some high notes, and “New Tim Hortons” exits with Kim Richey’s pretty backing vocals that spotlights McRae’s spoken word skills.
This is the pair’s first album together, and let’s hope it isn’t their last, cause they complement each other’s strengths perfectly, and it makes for a folk, country, Americana and blues hybrid that’s highly memorable.
Travels well with: Craig Bickhardt- Outpourings; Gordan Thomas Ward- Whispers From The Woods