Vermont-based Wagtail has been together less than a year but has already developed a seasoned, “signature” sound–a solid rhythmic groove supplied by guitar and percussion instruments, along with two utterly different female vocalists. Every band member brings talent and personality to the party. Susannah Blachly is a stylin’ fiddler who swings effortlessly from high-lonesome Blue Ridge drone to Irish jig. Kristina Stykos is an able guitarist in her solo work and demonstrates that here as well, but she also sails on mandolin. Wagtail’s main guitarist is George White, and he also plays octave mandolin and sings. Percussionist Carter Stowell taps out evertyhing from djembe to marvelous tabla surprises on some of the Celtic instrumentals–a welcome texture that is still relatively rare in North American acoustic music. [EDITOR’S NOTE: It is Gabe Halberg (not Carter) who plays tabla on “Crossing the Causeway / Icehouse” and on “Boatman”.]
On their first ensemble CD, entitled One Clear Moment, White and Stowell lay down a solid foundation: White’s dead-on rhythm sense and percussive style compliments Stowell’s always-interesting backbeat. For Stykos, it’s all shimmering rhythmic melody lines on mando–no bluegrass chop chords here. And then there are the vocals. White’s soulful, steady voice is just right for country-blues numbers like the recording’s title track, a White original. Both women have unique singing styles, and when Blachly’s purr meets Stykos’ quaver, it sounds like what happens on your tongue when you taste salted almonds enrobed in chocolate. Delicious!
Wagtail’s choice of music–a mix of recent originals and traditional covers, some instrumental only–is very eclectic: from venerable Francis Child ballads (”House Carpenter”), to Stykos’ dark, introspective compositions about her state of mind, or life (”River Go By” and “Dirt Is the Color”); and Blachly’s poppy, catchy originals (”Let the Light In,” “When the Sun Goes Down” and “Honey Man”).
The instrumental tracks on One Clear Moment are all played with style and taste, but to me they almost felt like interruptions of the fine vocal numbers. There’s so much great raw material here that Wagtail could have recorded one vocal disc and one instrumental, both stellar. Maybe they should have.
Recording-wise, One Clear Moment is truly homemade–taped and edited at Stykos’ home studio in Chelsea–and the sound is clean and pure. The disc sounds even better with repeated listenings.
Robert Resnik - Seven Days