Some Strange Country
Some Strange Country finds Crooked Still handling their strings with even greater care. Cello, banjo, fiddle and double bass can sound like a small chamber group while retaining plenty of drive and flexibility. Aoife O'Donovan sings clearly and calmly above them. Stories have space without the band reducing their own contribution.
Sometimes In This Country establishes that balance well. The voice seems to float above the busy interaction. It makes the music accessible while the relationships between rhythms continue asking for attention. Individual parts support each other without always following the same movement.
On The Golden Vanity, banjo and cello make the story increasingly restless. When the pace increases, the narrative gains tension. Henry Lee instead uses a much plainer delivery. O'Donovan avoids exaggerating its gruesome events, which makes them register all the more clearly.
The original songs fit well among the traditional material. Half Of What We Know has a sombre melody and enough movement to work beyond a strictly acoustic setting. Locust In The Willow moves between bluegrass drive and more stately bowed sounds. That contrast gives the arrangements depth.
The gospel song Calvary also gains a rhythm that offers more than standard backing. The group treat an old song as an opportunity to explore something again. Their closing version of the Rolling Stones' You Got The Silver has a pleasing blues character and a gentle bluegrass bounce.
This remains a refined, largely restrained record. Its strength comes from melodies, clear singing and close contact between instruments. Some Strange Country consequently sounds familiar without becoming predictable. Crooked Still bring older and newer songs together so naturally that the distinction becomes increasingly unimportant. The arrangements give each one enough personality to belong here.
