One of the things I find endearing about the folk music community is how they support a wide range of styles. From a single performer with guitar or autoharp to a string band with complex arrangements that border on chamber music, they embrace it as their own. For a taste of some of the latter, take a listen to the new album, As Young As We’ll Ever Be, from the Pacific Northwest’s The Lowest Pair, the guitarist/banjoist/vocalist duo of Kendl Winter and Travis Palmer.
Those rich, acoustic textures show up from the very beginning, with CD opener Give It All Away layering in guitar, banjo, and fiddle in a musing about life’s cycles of pain and happiness. Or, as they put it, “before the sun there was the rain, before the rain there was the sun.” Quantum Physics is a woven fabric of instruments and vocals contemplating the idea we’re just particles in motion and “tomorrow’s not a guarantee.” Tiny Rebellions is full-on orchestral folk, with volcanologist and fiddler Leif Karlstrom providing some underlying dread to emphasize that even in the darkness there’s hope. The other side of the mood spectrum surfaces in The Uncertain Seas, with its jazzy, Bill Frisell-style guitar and Winter’s vocals making it almost a pop ballad.
Not everything on the record is high on the bling scale. Shitty Light features Winter again on vocals, with a sound that’s more grounded. It’s a reminder that perspectives change so, “the smoke is clear, let’s let it go.” Spilled the Beans gives Palmer a turn on vocals in a dance hall number. Multi-instrumentalist Adam Roszkiewicz brings in an upright piano sound that underscores the fun of the piece. Album closer Thorn is a warm and gentle bluegrass waltz. Some vaguely Auld Lang Syne riffs underscore the idea this is about letting go, or getting rid, of the irritating things in life is a necessary part of the cycle.
Between the end of the holidays and the bleakness of winter, January isn’t something many people anticipate with joy. As a counterpoint to the starkness, you can sit by the fire with a glass of something warm and comforting. A perfect accompaniment would be some music equally rich and soothing. For that, I recommend The Lowest Pair and their latest release, As Young As We’ll Ever Be.
About the author: I've actually driven from Tehatchapee to Tonopah. And I've seen Dallas from a DC-9 at night.