A well conceived album from Red Beet that finds producers Peter Cooper and Thomm Jutz surrounding the voice of Fayssoux McLean with a group of understanding players whose skills give these songs a quiet beauty. Fayssoux is a name know to some as the harmony singer with Emmylou Harris on albums like Pieces Of The Sky. Maybe not quite as distinctive but certainly cut from similar cloth. She released her debut album early in 2008 and now returns with I Can’t Wait. A sentiment that her fans would doubtless echo.
A largely acoustic folk orientated album it has a gentle tone that gives Fayssoux’s voice it’s place at the centre of the songs. A well chosen set of songs too that includes numbers from David Ball, Kieran Kane, Mose Allison, RB Morris, Jim Lauderdale and Merle Haggard alongside original songs from McLean, either written solo or with the producers. One song I Made A Friend Of A Flower Today written by Tom T and Dixie Hall previously appeared on a Hall tribute album and features the man himself trading verses.
All of which makes this an album that will have a wide-ranging appeal. It is an album that is easy to listen to without becoming easy listening. It is thoughtful and timeless and well worth the wait.