Martin Lorentzson 'Together' - Self-Release

Eight songs in 30 minutes and enough quality to hint at greater success ahead for this Swedish singer-songwriter. With two previous, self-released CD’s, Together represents a step forward in that it was created while working with seven separate song-writers.

Produced by Carl Granberg, the overall sound is based in a folk/roots genre, but there are many nice soundscape touches in the arrangements to keep everything interesting and flowing in a positive direction. Some very nice harmony vocals by an unidentified female voice add a certain mystery and the restrained playing creates an atmospheric mood to the experience. Less is More.

Eliza Lynn 'Together' Civility

Lynn is an interpreter of songs and plays with a small core of acoustic musicians in a folk, bluegrass inclined sound that suit Lynn's clear voice. The best know of these songs is her reading of the Tia Sellers, Mark Sanders oft covered song I Hope You Dance. It's stripped down setting emphasizes the simple aims that are at the core of the songs expressed wish of better time. The remainder of the 9 songs also include Life Is Like A River written by Doc Watson, Van Morrison's When The Leaves Come Falling Down and the traditional Shenandoah. The instrumentation is guitar, banjo, dobro, mandolin and fiddle with lots of harmony vocals. Nothing new or unusual just a good honest lo-key delivery of some well chosen songs that suit Lynn's voice well. Sit Down Servant has the pure voices of Lynn and Alia Clary without any other instrumentation and again reminds of what an emotive element the human voice can be. Given the tight musical unit involved they manage to ring the changes across the songs from the aforementioned acapella delivery to the gentle lapsteel of their take on the Van Morrison song to traditional setting for Shenandoah. Nothing then that breaks any rules or barriers bur rather this album comes down to basics. A good voice, delivering good songs over some good playing. Music doesn't always have to be much more when it is removed from expectation and extraneous embellishment.