This traditional bluegrass band hail from Nova Scotia in Canada and this is their debut release. Across eleven songs this trio, with support from a further three guest musicians, play with an enthusiasm and spirit that displays their passion for the music. The region of Nova Scotia is a rich territory for traditional music and there is a high degree of competition among the various bands who are trying to get their music heard.
The CD opens with a fine workout called Edge of Town which has fiddle and mandolin playing off each other in a brightly arranged melody and tempo. The following tracks occupy a similar groove with Little Green Houses skipping along like an old pickup truck along a dirt road. Amy’s Song ends proceedings with a flourish and hints at better days to come.
The vocals of Ellen Furey should feature more as they bring a welcome addition to the songs and the need to move towards a more individual style becomes evident. There is a sense of repeating much of what has been done before in this genre. The tunes do tend to run into each other a little as the arrangements repeat and the sound of mandolin and fiddle high in the mix can become somewhat predictable.