Rating: NNN
Thirteen members play on the Gertrudes’ debut album, which consists of half a dozen soft, bluegrassy songs heavy on banjo, guitar-picking and choir-like harmonies. Managing so many instruments must be a challenge, yet the young Kingston band often succeeds, like on The River and Seymour. Seymour, in particular, opens with confident trumpets and hard-strummed banjo.
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Like Nashville’s Lambchop, the large band references past eras in hushed tones and adds atmospheric textures that pull the music into the present. On Advancement Of The Human Age and A New Sound, both over seven minutes long, they prove they aren’t afraid to jam, which will excite some and bore others. Less successful are attempts by the entire band to sing together, when things go off-key.
A secret bonus track offers a just-written banjo-only version of Kansas played by Annie Clifford over the phone during a radio interview.
Top track: Kansas (telephone/radio version)
