Written
by William Elgin, posted by blog admin
Few
Americana themed acts working today can lay claim to the prowess and power at
Thunderbolt and Lightfoot’s disposal. Vocalist and guitarist Phil Barry’s
collaboration with vocalist and multi-instrumentalist Sarah Fuerst is certainly
a marriage of equals – they are a stunning vocal match on each of Songs for
Mixed Company’s ten tracks and the songwriting excellence stamped on this
collection is certainly their joint responsibility. The performances are
augmented with a small cast of supporting musicians who aid the duo in further
fleshing out their artistic vision and their contributions are important
factors in the album’s ultimate success, but the center of the achievement on
this release is the glittering and often surprisingly diverse artistry the duo
brings to bear on their compositions. These are deceptively simple compositions,
but close listening reveals these are deeply observed songs with a wealth of
detail and flashes of stunning poetry. Songs for Mixed Company establishes
Thunderbolt and Lightfoot as a monumental force in the Americana/folk music
community.
“Let’s
Be Friends” might have a conciliatory title, but the song is clearly cast on a
downbeat note about the fracturing of an intense relationship into something
much more tenuous. The delicate acoustic guitar work ably supports Barry and
Fuerst’s vocals without ever competing with them and the plain spoken poetry
infusing the work makes it a memorable opener. The intimate qualities of the
recording are equally powerful and further accentuate the mood. “Miss Me” is
definitely one of the highlights on the release and recalls classic country
balladry without ever succumbing to its excesses. The steel guitar touching the
song at various points brings just enough color without ever risking cliché and
the percussion, when it enters the song, punctuates the song in a tasteful and authoritative
way. The darkness edging in on the opener “Let’s Be Friends” is in full flower
on the song “Can’t Be Trusted” and the yearning coming through in the lyric
doesn’t sound like love and lust full of light, but shadows instead. Mike Lynch’s
ghostly organ touches further contributes to the haunted feeling.
There’s
a waltz feel to “Sad Song” and the patient development of the song thanks to
Barry and Fuerst results in clipped lines and a minimal musical arrangement
that is suggestive without ever overshadowing the singers. The drumming, once
again, provides some first class work and gives the song great shape. One can
even detect an incongruous playfulness in the song that defies expectation. The
retro old-tymey tenor of “Goodbye is Not the End” has much more of the inklings
of playfulness we heard in the previous song, but it doesn’t necessarily mean
Thunderbolt and Lightfoot are playing this for laughs. The musicianship remains
at the same high level as before. “Vesper” sounds ripped from the folk music
tradition, but there’s an understated and unabashed modern edge blurring its
edges. It’s an instrumental, but quite evocative and never just some sort of
placeholder or filler. Songs for Mixed Company rarely roars, but the whispers
compromising their songwriting makes a deeper impact than one might suspect.
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