Rachel Harrington 'Celilo Falls' Skinny Dennis

This third studio album from Harrington continues to enhance her reputation as a fine singer and songwriter. Her acoustic studio band have enough firepower to give all these songs the musical textures they need. Her music has been likened to Gillian Welch and there is something in that but equally not enough to not see that Harrington is her own woman. The album was produced by Evan Brubaker and recorded in Washington with additional guests such as Ronnie McCoury recorded in Nashville and Rod Clements' slide guitar added in England. The songs are equally universal with album highlights like Goodbye Amsterdam talks of travel and more. You'll Do is about partnership with the obvious connotations of the title. Another song that stands out by the nature of it's delivery is her unaccompanied version of the traditional ballad Pretty Saro. A song for which she took the melody but wrote words that would fit the story she wanted to tell. Spokane is written by Art Hanlon and fits with her own songs in the context of this subtle musical setting. The tenderness of her Let Me Sleep In Your Arms Tonight makes a compelling lullaby to love and is another highlight. Harrington's music draws from a deep well of folk music even though many of her songs are set in the here and now they have the feel of timelessness that lasting music should have.