Beth
Whitney – Ukulele EP (Independent)
Hailing from Snohomish in Washington State, Beth
Whitney is slowly and surely raising her profile in her hometown and
surrounding areas, winning songwriting competitions and releasing a sequence of
records that consistently earn critical acclaim. “Ukulele”, a seven-song EP, is
her most recent release, and unsurprisingly features Whitney mainly playing
ukulele (and guitar), singing her songs of course and, as is usual, her husband
Aaron Fishburn accompanies her. It’s a charming folk-rock collection, with both
musicians in fine form and Whitney’s songs effortlessly draw the listener into
her world of rainy days, pirates and unfettered, hopeful love.
At nearly half an hour long, it’s a substantial
collection, and one with plenty of artistic ambition. Opening track “Sweet On You” is simply a delight; the duo play
beautifully well together, Whitney’s soft vocal (think Joanna Newsom with a
little extra twang) drips gentle words of longing and affection, and a muted
trumpet adds extra magic – just perfect. “Seattle Rain”
is as good, though entirely dissimilar. Its echo-laden percussion and
orchestrations emit an epic quality that’s retro, engaging and wholly
convincing.
Phil S.
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