So assured is the sound of this trio from Pennsylvania that you'd assume this was the latest in a long line of albums. To say their debut full-length release is full of promise would be a massive understatement.
The eleven songs are all originals but they immediately sound like standards.
Maya di Vitry (fiddle, banjo) wrote six and Oliver Crave (fiddle, guitar) penned the rest. The third of the trio is bassist Charles Muench.
The captivating voice of di Vitry has the forlorn grace of a younger Gillian Welch; Crane makes for an earthy contrast and the harmony vocals are a dream.
Put it all together and they make the sweet blend of traditional folk, bluegrass and country blues sound ridiculously easy.
The tunes are nicely balanced between wistful ballads like Dream In Blue and Railroad Man and the light-hearted swing of tracks such as No Part of Nothin' and Just Sayin'.
The three tunes-in-one fiddle instrumental (Give That Wildman A Knife/Bellow Falls/Waitin' 0n a Hannah) showcases the high quality of musicianship.
Meanwhile, the prison blues of 25 to Life and a song about balancing hard work with sweet romance (Heavy Hands) show an awareness that the roots of this music lies in constant struggle to makes ends meet while staying the right side of the law.
In short, if this band don't succeed in wowing folk audiences around the globe, I'll eat my cowboy hat.
