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Loggerhead, Once in a While (SELF-RELEASED, CD)
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Guitarist Dan Blondin takes the lead RESEaRCh ON VT wednesdays > 8 pm on the tender waltz “Arthur McBride.” His easy tenor is achingly pretty, a fine Channel 17 contrast to McKenzie’s more forceful lIVE ElECTION delivery. Behind him, mandolin and fORUMS CONTINUE fiddle gracefully dovetail, warmly weeknights > 5:25 pm embracing Blondin’s sweet tones. gET MORE INfO OR waTCh ONlINE aT An instrumental medley — “Planxty vermont cam.org • retn.org ChaNNEl17.ORg Mrs. Power + Flowers of Edinburgh + Temperance Reel” — highlights the entire ensemble. The dynamic 16t-retnWEEKLY.indd 1 10/1/10 4:10:32 PM interplay between Matt Bean’s soaring — Jim Poulin, Gardener’s Supply Company fiddle and Marshall Paulsen’s plucky banjo is especially noteworthy, a fine Discover what showcase of this outfit’s versatility and Sovernet customers veteran tact. already know. Blondin takes center stage again on Our dedicated team and state-of-the-art network make “Jack Hall,” a tune highlighted by fine Sovernet telephone & internet service the smart choice. ensemble vocal harmonies and a tastefully Switch today — and spare instrumental arrangement. experience our commitment to customer satisfaction. The aforementioned Cajun tune, “Lacassie Special,” cruises with jaunty energy. Bean’s fiddle work is exemplary as he leads the quintet through a series Celebrating g of increasingly spicy movements. 15 yyears of exceptional telecommunications! 877.877.2120 Another instrumental medley, www.sovernet.com “Shady Grove + Cold Frosty Morning + Kitchen Girl,” once again showcases the group’s collective diversity and sensitivity.16t-Sovernet100610.indd 1 9/30/10 12:45:56 PM In particular the band’s take on “Shady Grove” — long one of this Irishman’s favorites — is expertly conceived. Cuisinart’s Smart Stick© The jovial reel “Riley’s Daughter” versatile hand blender again lightens the mood with breezy, singsong appeal. In contrast, “The Blackbird” flutters mournfully against a steely backdrop of strummed guitars and cheerless banjo. McKenzie is at his rueful best, telling the song’s heartbreaking tale with restrained cool. “The Mermaid” splashes playfully amid ripples of banjo and fiddle. a locally owned kitchen & gift market Flanked by a hearty crew of backing vocalists, McKenzie’s voice bobs above the tune’s carefree currents. A third instrumental medley, “Lilting Banshee + My Darling Asleep + Out on the Ocean,” serves as a lovely preamble to the album’s finale, “Spancil Hill.” Blondin’s blue-eyed delivery lends the somber traditional an appropriate heaviness, bringing the record to a perfectly melancholy close. Catch Longford Row this Thursday at — where else? — Rí Rá Irish Pub in Burlington. From Mike, Co-Owner: I use it every day for my power shake! DAN BOLLES
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Longford Row, Longford Row (SELF-RELEASED, CD)
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With the release of their self-titled debut recording, local Celtic quintet Longford Row bring authentic Emerald Isle craic to the Green Mountains. The collection of 11 traditional Celtic tunes — plus one Cajun number — offers more than 46 minutes of distinctive, woolclad coziness. Downcast ballad “Queen of Argyle” is first and sets the album’s session-like feel with lilting ease. Guitarist Patrick McKenzie’s weathered croon bristles with vitality. The buoyant, fiery “South of Australia” comes next, and McKenzie proves as compelling a front man here as he was sorrowfully impassioned on the slower opening number.
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Loggerhead keep the acoustic tradition alive and well in Vermont music with Once in a While. The duo, which includes Eric Palola on guitar, mandolin and lead vocals, and Todd Sagar on fiddle, dobro and backing vocals, provides an instrumentally strong strain of folk that weaves in touches of country, bluegrass and, for good measure, classical. Palola’s vocal and lyrical performance is solid, if unspectacular; like many a traditional folk singer, he draws heavily on familiar motifs. But this isn’t really a drawback, because it puts the focus on the group’s formidable instrumental talent. Palola’s guitar and mandolin playing doesn’t beg for attention, but a close listen reveals that he’s a skilled player, with nary a bad note or dull passage. Sagar doesn’t sing much — he lets his fiddle and the dobro do the talking instead. His contributions with both instruments are gorgeous: sometimes restrained and sometimes blazing enough to incite a hootenanny. In fact, Once in a While’s instrumental songs are the highlights of the album. The masterful fingerwork of both players particularly shines on “Marmalade” and “Burr in the Kilt.” The multilayered production of these tracks recalls the lush textures of Chris Thile’s newgrass/classical project Punch Brothers, albeit without Thile’s abstractness or rock influences. Despite being just a duo, Loggerhead use overdubs tastefully and subtly to craft a sound befitting a much larger
group. On “Raised on a Farm (in 1932),” for example, a mandolin part adds a high-end layer to the song’s guitar and fiddle parts, elevating it from simple folk ditty to accomplished composition. It’s easy to mistake Loggerhead for a full-on string band, without liner notes to provide the actual credits. The album’s low points occur when the guys stray from traditional Americana. Palola’s slow-groove croon on “Highwired” is a bit cringeworthy, and “Just 33” wades into weird ’90s acoustic power ballad territory. But these are isolated missteps. Overall, Loggerhead represent Vermont well with acoustic music that’s familiar and comforting, like a mug of hot cider on a raw autumn day.