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Americana, folk, songwriter, roots.

The lead off song of this new collection seems to be rooted in an ethereal guitar mode with folky banjo notes & rich harmonic voices that float through the melody. It’s a lively inception & imaginative. Nothing new, but something that isn’t necessarily applied to often by others. In the early 60s there were even hits that were similar to this – the Rooftop Singers’ “Walk Right In” comes to mind.

The 9 expressive cuts on this 4th album Be Real With Me (Drops Feb 14/KungFu Nation/32:30) was produced by Saman Khoujinian (synth/keys) & Austin McCombie (lead vocals/acoustic & electric guitars/drums/percussion/harmony).

There’s always a nice contrast between the voices & this set balances the lead vocals with articulate songs that are extremely tuneful & well-crafted. It isn’t the type of performance that is The New Seekers, the Seekers or Curved Air. Sarah McCombie’s voice is smooth & has finesse, but her tone is not as warm as the late Sandy Denny. Nonetheless, Chatham Rabbits is a unit that doesn’t follow a traditional folk idiom. They aren’t wholly mainstream, but their sound is fresh & has good melodic chemistry.

The liveliest is “Gas Money” where Sarah’s voice shines like a beacon — with its energy spilled generously from a Fairport Convention (“Walk Away”) & Fotheringay (John Babbacomb Lee”) tradition. The music is all constructed with little special effects & gimmicks. It’s assured ensemble playing that is performed with spirit.

Adding a little cornball country accent to her voice & the proceedings vocalist Sarah unravels the wonderfully indelible “Childhood Friends,” with pedal steel & upbeat thrust. The song itself doesn’t maintain a country feel throughout but does blend it evenly with a folky nostalgic aesthetic. It’s like dark chocolate & salted potato chips.

Instrumentals are a little harder to sell but the traditional atmosphere laid down in “Big Fish, Small Pond” is delivered with musical assurance. Simplistic yet memorable & a nice interlude between songs. The vocal contrast returns strong on “Did I Really Know Him?” which is the most accessible tune on the album. Plaintive guitar strums & passive melody with pensive vocals.
This is more of a listening album than a dance album. The words work with the music & voices & together. Everything is stylistically admirable.

Tracks:
01. Facing 29
02. Matador
03. Gas Money
04. Childhood Friends
05. Big Fish, Small Pond
06. Did I Really Know Him
07. One Little Orange
08. Collateral Damage
09. Pool Shark's Table

Staat er compleet op, 10% pars mee gepost. Met zeer veel dank aan de originele poster. Laat af en toe eens weten wat je van het album vindt. Altijd leuk, de mening van anderen. Oh ja, MP3 doe ik niet aan.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rWOojzo2tkk&list=OLAK5uy_l29p4E9cV6hiT1t8LcW_egWmwAgDpJFco