It’s rare to stumble upon a CD so well suited to repeat listens on
the kitchen stereo. Nine bluegrass-playing Montrealers take turns
singing joyfully down-and-out songs about missing buses, having their
hearts broken and repaired, motels, armadillos and the Dalai Lama. The
lyrics are great—funny and earnest, sometimes simultaneously.
Highlights include “Mary Margaret” (“I spoke with Mary Margaret, she
said love will come again”), Annabelle Chvostek’s “The Sioux” and the
mantra “Om mane padme hum” in “Dalai Lama.” The album was recorded live
off the floor, with no overdubs, giving the group harmonies a warm,
live sound.
Sarah Greene
This article appears in Jan 29 – Feb 4, 2009.