MODERN TONES…David Olney & Anana Kaye: Whispers and Sighs, Son of the Velvet Rat: Solitary Company

Here are some mixes of traditional and current events

Vocalists David Olney and Anana Kaye create a rich tapestry that mixes rural sounds with modern tones as they  play acoustic guitar and keyboards respectively with a team of Irakli Gabriel/g, Chris Benelli/der, Dan Seymour-Chris Donohue-Seth Ondracek/b , Austin Hoke/cel, Derek Pell/vi and some guests on horns. The album comes off like a concept mood, with brooding strings opening things up on “The Sta tion (Prelude)” that lead into Olney in a troubadour mood on “My Favorite Goodbye” and the folksy “My Last Dream of You”. Kaye wisps through the Latin lilt of “thank You Note” and gives a minstrel read of “Why Can’t We Get This Right” while “The World We Used to Know” is reminiscent of “Cat’s in the Cradle”. The tender “Tennessee Moon” has Kaye at her most delicate, with the album filled with sepia panoramas.

Georg Altziebler composes all of the material on the 9th album for the Son of The Rat combo of Albrecht Klinger/slg, Eric McCann/b, Muck Willmann/perc, Sebastian Rochford/dr and a rotating team of vocalist and keyboardists with Altziebler in lead vocal and guitar. There’s a rich darkness to “Alicia” with the big drums almost overwhelming “Solitary Company”. The two stepping “Stardust” and “The Ferris Wheel” give a Cajun feel to the atmosphere, while rich harmonies akin to The Everly Brothers are heard on the pretty “11 & 9”. Roots looking for rich soil.

www.davidolney.com

www.sonofthevelvetrat.com

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