Sweet
Colleens – Closer To The Sky (Wraggle Records)
Sweet Colleens describe what they do as
“fiddle-infused, accordion-fueled, celti-cajun folk pop”. It’s a bit of a
mouthful but there’s nothing there to disagree with. The Minnesotans (Jeremy
Greenhouse: guitar/fiddle/mandolin/harmonica/vocals, Pete Sandvik:
accordion/guitar/triangle/vocals, David Bade: bass/tenor banjo/vocals, Rich
Larson: guitar/vocals and Wolf Loescher: drums/percussion/bouzar/vocals, Dave
Bille: guitars) tap into a rich vein of European-sourced folk styles, though at
their core they remain an American band, with plenty of homegrown influences,
from country rock and blues to gritty, blue-collar rock ‘n’ roll.
They’ve been playing together, in one formation or
another, for well over a decade, regularly gigging in and around the Twin
Cities, and as far away from home as France. Their familiarity and experience
is obvious throughout their second album “Closer To The Sky”, a collection that
touches on all their varied influences, and is aimed at both the head and the
feet. They begin with the country flecked “California”, and although Gary
Louris’ Jayhawks spring to mind, the accordion/guitar mix is refreshingly
original. “Good to Be Back” is a pristine
Celtic-rocker, with Stonesy “ooh-oohs” and what sounds like a pipes solo. Their
Cajun influence appears on “Oh My My My (Look At That
Girl)” and “The Diamond Lake Reel” is
traditional British Isles dance music respectfully dragged into the 21st
century.
Phil S.
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