Review!
October/November '08. #138
Dirty Linen
page 16
LEELA & ELLIE GRACE
Where the Waters Run
Self-released (2008)
This second CD from sisters Leela and Ellie
Grace is a smart and harmonious set, mostly comprising original
songs with a bright sound and an uplifting outlook. Their blend of
complementary mountain-clear voices recalls the sound of groups like
the Wailin’ Jennies and Uncle Earl, and the arrangements featuring
mandolin, fiddle, banjo, and guitar also place them firmly in the
modern American roots realm. There are relationship songs like the
sensuous “Morning Grace” and the driving, banjo-powered “Common
Ground” that look at life with hope, while the haunting “Book of
Names” addresses uncertainty with mythic symbolism. The rousing
“until a Drop Becomes a Flood” is one of the better songs written
about the current American political climate, lamenting the
treatment of immigrants but confident that better times will come.
The sisters also revisit a pair of traditional songs, “Red Rocking
Chair” and “Singing Bird” with affection and style.
--Tom Nelligan (Waltham, MA) |
