Rating: NNN
Since BC newgrass babes the Be Good Tanyas are currently on hiatus for an as-yet-undetermined time, BGT Trish Klein has plenty of time to focus on her Po’ Girl side project. The added attention has benefited the jazz-folk-roots outfit Vagabond Lullabies is more varied and has a lush depth and maturity that weren’t present on their self-titled debut. Klein and clarinetist Allison Russell trade off on singing and writing duties, using their contrasting vocal styles (the latter has a jazz singer’s husky purr, while the former sticks to the Tanyas’ country choir-girl vibe) to create lovely harmonies. New addition Diona Davies works in some nice fiddle parts but might wanna stay away from singing lead – her one stab at Sarah Rhude’s Poor Girl is a bit off. The production keeps the tunes fairly dusty and homespun, although there’s still an odd Americana-goes-pop polish that keeps Po’ Girl from sounding entirely authentic.