The voices and characters of Seafar Rose and Aaron Davis compliment each other perfectly on an album which is accurately described as a mix "groove injected Alt-Country and soulful Americana".
Although the duo's debut album was recorded in Austin, Texas, Rose grew up listening to traditional folk music in North Carolina. Her voice has an authentic country drawl which is tailor made for the wistful mood that embraces half of this record. Her musical partner, Davis is from Kentucky and he cites among his influences the classic songs of The Band and Dylan. His voice has a smoother, more laid back quality not unlike Vetiver's Andy Cabic.
The song writing credits for the dozen songs here are evenly divided and reflect their respective personalities through track sequencing where the mood switches between the contemplative to the cheery.
Rose's songs are the more meditative and melancholy ones. This can be heard on the evocation of lonesome highways of Cold Mountain Breath and particularly on the fatalistic Blow Away where she sings of hopes, dreams and memories destined to fade to dust ("All that remains are the ashes that blow away").
In contrast, Davis' foot tapping/ hand clapping drinking tune Firewater warms the spirits (let the sauce intoxicate you") while his light-hearted road song Ramblin' Around takes the load off after Blow Away.
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These changes of mood are not always so well judged. The two minute blast of jelly roll ragtime boogie of Jivin' which kicks in abruptly after the lovelorn track Gold immediately kills the atmosphere of pain and regret brilliantly captured by Rose on lines like "I loved without meaning, I left without reason".
There are no such quibbles over the choice of closing tune, however. Morning Sun is the one song where the lyric credits are shared and is illustrative of the spirit of a record which Davis says "was born of moving around and growing musically closer".
The alternating vocals together with lines like "I'll sing your song and you'll sing mine" ensures this warm hearted album ends on an appropriately harmonious note.
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