Bearfoot – Doors and Windows
They were a darn good young bluegrass band from Alaska (of all places) even before they added singer/fiddler Odessa Jorgenson. Then when the North Carolina-based Jorgenson left the Biscuit Burners to join this emerging group and matched her voice with Kate Hamre and Angela Oudean, the whole project just levitated. I first rolled this album front to back on a drive into the Smoky Mountains and it couldn’t have matched the summer day any better. They’re serene and uplifting with enough traditional old-time bite and tang to keep it grounded. The songwriting is rangy and sophisticated, their covers well chosen. Their version of “Single Girl” became my favorite of all time since the Carter Family, and they offer a sweet mountain-infused reading of “Don’t Let Me Down.” These guys have found a fitting label home on Compass and a sound that’s very much their own. Can’t wait to hear how it further develops.
Comments