THE LOWEST PAIR - UNCERTAIN AS IT IS UNEVEN
2016 - Team Love Records
Finding new albums by musicians who record their songs with little or no artifice is a rarity so when on the very few occasions it is successfully achieved is a huge breath of fresh air. The Lowest Pair on their albums have provided a storm force breath of fresh air that has an almost overwhelming quality and originality with nothing done to bring them in line with any contemporaries, very few though they are. When I say no artifice what I actually mean is that if this duo were sitting on the front porch of a shack in an old Appalachian 'holler' of a hundred years ago they would be playing and singing with the same edgy rawness as they are in the twenty first century. Nothing is used to soften or smooth out the rawness of the vocals or to supplement the virtuosic playing, instead leaving everything natural, as a consequence of which this recording has a quite astounding natural beauty. After all, beauty doesn't just have to be soft and gentle; nature often enhances beauty with its raw elements.
Kendl Winter is a hugely talented singer, songwriter and banjoist who has released two solo albums and one with a band, 'Summer Gold,' (reviewed on this site in 2013) as well as being one half of the duo 'The Lowest Pair.' The other half is Palmer T. Lee, a man whose talents are pretty much a perfect blend with Kendl's as evidenced by the duo's previous recordings. Prior to this new recording they had released four high quality duo albums but unusually 'Uncertain as it is uneven' is one of a pair of new recordings this year, both having been released on the 27th May. It is quite astonishing that anyone has the talent to release one album of this quality, but to release two completely unique recordings at the same time beggar's belief!
A friend, on hearing a previous solo album of Kendl's, found her voice both beguiling and a little hard to understand. When he pointed to the purity of Dolly Parton's vocals I countered by saying that in so many ways Kendl has more purity in her voice than most of the 'superstars' put together because of her instinctive and intuitive feel for the music. She does nothing to soften its impact and whilst different to what may be heard most of the time in the charts she has a beauty in her delivery that must surely be the envy of many, creating that wonderful otherworldly atmosphere without recourse to any histrionics. Its one thing for one member of a duo to have such a hugely appealing, heavily accented and distinctive vocal style such as Kendl's, but Palmer matches her for quality and that almost indefinable melodic edginess.
In this modern age there are so many variations on 'old timey' or 'hillbilly' music, some choosing to electrify their instruments, others keeping to acoustic instrumentation and maybe reworking the old songs to a degree that makes them almost unrecognizable, or simply putting their own interpretation on traditional songs. Some actually try, often successfully, to write songs that at least give a nod to the tradition, in fact the variations are endless although there are few if any others who appear to have been transported via time machine to the modern day to fit their style to modern day songs. The Lowest Pair have achieved that with their beautifully natural old timey style that has modernity around the edges and is totally original in its concept. I know that mentioning a 'time machine' brings a lightness to the description but it really shouldn't. This pair of talented musicians are genuinely a throwback to those times long gone but what enhances their tremendous music is the fact that they are not afraid of modernity, all of their songs, to a degree at least, bearing that stamp. In fact all eleven of the songs on this extraordinary recording were written by the duo, five solely by Kendl, four by Palmer and two co-writes. The recording was beautifully produced by Erik Koskinen, with the clarity of sound and separation of voices and instruments as perfect for purpose as it could possibly be.
A lovely mellow acoustic guitar intro gets the album opener The company I keep underway, soon joined by banjo and Kendl's beautiful 'mountain girl' vocal on a slow and very moody ballad. Palmer's harmony and harmonica add to the edgy mountain feel. The oft used term 'High lonesome' conjures up a romantic vision of Appalachian ballads but this song and just about every other song on this tremendous recording have a real feel that has the romanticism stripped away, in some ways enhancing that very feeling! That is followed by Keeweenaw flower a composition that has another mellow guitar start but this time with Palmer on lead vocal and Kendl adding her harmonies on another edgy ballad that in many ways is impossible to place in any particular era other than somewhere between the early days of recording and the modern day! Palmer's vocal is melodic, raw and expressive and is actually perfectly suited to an alt. country band somehow bringing to mind a group such as the Good Luck Thrift Store Outfit. On 37 Tears we are treated to an eerie, haunting banjo sound with harmonica for company on an incredibly dramatic duet that has the atmosphere of some of those old time murder ballads. There is a solitary banjo that starts The sky is green and Kendl's sparky light vocal is soon backed by Palmers excellent harmony. The inclusion of acoustic guitar gives the song a light yet eerie feel that quite literally no one else could achieve, similarly the song itself. Final mention goes to By then where will that be, the albums closing song and one that the banjo gets underway before Palmer's atmospheric vocal comes in on a composition that has a little of the old timey/hillbilly feel. Kendl adds her harmonies and the sound is supplemented by the deep otherworldly cello alongside the fiddle, a combination that solidifies the eerie atmosphere.
This is genuinely a tremendous recording that will enhance any music collection. If you've never liked the edgier side of 'real country' music you owe it to yourself to listen to this album that is as good as it can get and just see if you still don't like it. I suspect you will become as addicted to it and 'The Lowest Pair's' other recordings as I am! If you do, you can then treat yourself to their other new recording 'Fern Girl and Ice Man.' It is another tremendous album that, if time allows, which to be honest is unlikely, will get reviewed here.
http://thelowestpair.com/
Finding new albums by musicians who record their songs with little or no artifice is a rarity so when on the very few occasions it is successfully achieved is a huge breath of fresh air. The Lowest Pair on their albums have provided a storm force breath of fresh air that has an almost overwhelming quality and originality with nothing done to bring them in line with any contemporaries, very few though they are. When I say no artifice what I actually mean is that if this duo were sitting on the front porch of a shack in an old Appalachian 'holler' of a hundred years ago they would be playing and singing with the same edgy rawness as they are in the twenty first century. Nothing is used to soften or smooth out the rawness of the vocals or to supplement the virtuosic playing, instead leaving everything natural, as a consequence of which this recording has a quite astounding natural beauty. After all, beauty doesn't just have to be soft and gentle; nature often enhances beauty with its raw elements.
Kendl Winter is a hugely talented singer, songwriter and banjoist who has released two solo albums and one with a band, 'Summer Gold,' (reviewed on this site in 2013) as well as being one half of the duo 'The Lowest Pair.' The other half is Palmer T. Lee, a man whose talents are pretty much a perfect blend with Kendl's as evidenced by the duo's previous recordings. Prior to this new recording they had released four high quality duo albums but unusually 'Uncertain as it is uneven' is one of a pair of new recordings this year, both having been released on the 27th May. It is quite astonishing that anyone has the talent to release one album of this quality, but to release two completely unique recordings at the same time beggar's belief!
A friend, on hearing a previous solo album of Kendl's, found her voice both beguiling and a little hard to understand. When he pointed to the purity of Dolly Parton's vocals I countered by saying that in so many ways Kendl has more purity in her voice than most of the 'superstars' put together because of her instinctive and intuitive feel for the music. She does nothing to soften its impact and whilst different to what may be heard most of the time in the charts she has a beauty in her delivery that must surely be the envy of many, creating that wonderful otherworldly atmosphere without recourse to any histrionics. Its one thing for one member of a duo to have such a hugely appealing, heavily accented and distinctive vocal style such as Kendl's, but Palmer matches her for quality and that almost indefinable melodic edginess.
In this modern age there are so many variations on 'old timey' or 'hillbilly' music, some choosing to electrify their instruments, others keeping to acoustic instrumentation and maybe reworking the old songs to a degree that makes them almost unrecognizable, or simply putting their own interpretation on traditional songs. Some actually try, often successfully, to write songs that at least give a nod to the tradition, in fact the variations are endless although there are few if any others who appear to have been transported via time machine to the modern day to fit their style to modern day songs. The Lowest Pair have achieved that with their beautifully natural old timey style that has modernity around the edges and is totally original in its concept. I know that mentioning a 'time machine' brings a lightness to the description but it really shouldn't. This pair of talented musicians are genuinely a throwback to those times long gone but what enhances their tremendous music is the fact that they are not afraid of modernity, all of their songs, to a degree at least, bearing that stamp. In fact all eleven of the songs on this extraordinary recording were written by the duo, five solely by Kendl, four by Palmer and two co-writes. The recording was beautifully produced by Erik Koskinen, with the clarity of sound and separation of voices and instruments as perfect for purpose as it could possibly be.
A lovely mellow acoustic guitar intro gets the album opener The company I keep underway, soon joined by banjo and Kendl's beautiful 'mountain girl' vocal on a slow and very moody ballad. Palmer's harmony and harmonica add to the edgy mountain feel. The oft used term 'High lonesome' conjures up a romantic vision of Appalachian ballads but this song and just about every other song on this tremendous recording have a real feel that has the romanticism stripped away, in some ways enhancing that very feeling! That is followed by Keeweenaw flower a composition that has another mellow guitar start but this time with Palmer on lead vocal and Kendl adding her harmonies on another edgy ballad that in many ways is impossible to place in any particular era other than somewhere between the early days of recording and the modern day! Palmer's vocal is melodic, raw and expressive and is actually perfectly suited to an alt. country band somehow bringing to mind a group such as the Good Luck Thrift Store Outfit. On 37 Tears we are treated to an eerie, haunting banjo sound with harmonica for company on an incredibly dramatic duet that has the atmosphere of some of those old time murder ballads. There is a solitary banjo that starts The sky is green and Kendl's sparky light vocal is soon backed by Palmers excellent harmony. The inclusion of acoustic guitar gives the song a light yet eerie feel that quite literally no one else could achieve, similarly the song itself. Final mention goes to By then where will that be, the albums closing song and one that the banjo gets underway before Palmer's atmospheric vocal comes in on a composition that has a little of the old timey/hillbilly feel. Kendl adds her harmonies and the sound is supplemented by the deep otherworldly cello alongside the fiddle, a combination that solidifies the eerie atmosphere.
This is genuinely a tremendous recording that will enhance any music collection. If you've never liked the edgier side of 'real country' music you owe it to yourself to listen to this album that is as good as it can get and just see if you still don't like it. I suspect you will become as addicted to it and 'The Lowest Pair's' other recordings as I am! If you do, you can then treat yourself to their other new recording 'Fern Girl and Ice Man.' It is another tremendous album that, if time allows, which to be honest is unlikely, will get reviewed here.
http://thelowestpair.com/