 |
'I mentioned a few weeks ago that Alma's Isaac and Blewett have been on a creative role this year. Well, it has continued unabated thru the summer, with gigs, new recordings and new collaborations. And it's not just busy work....they expanded their horizons and sound, and at a grandfatherly time in their lives, are acting like rookie artists. And that is a good, good thing.
Let's start with their brand new disc, just out for the summer's touring season. It's called Over the Edge, and if they haven't gone over it with this one, they certainly have approached the edge, and done some daring work. The duo are out to make you rethink the concepts of folk, blues, country living and just what a cello can do.
For a two-man group, Isaac and Blewett give us a sound that approaches a full orchestra sometimes. In truth, it's just Tim Isaac on cello and Jim Blewett on guitar and banjo, and both on vocals. But they've filled the digital files or tape or whatever with orchestras of these instruments, and layered harmonies It's as big and rich a sound as you'll get anywhere, especially given the home-made nature of their work. The two of them have become masters of a strikingly clean sound and a remarkable recording technique that is lush and gorgeous.
Having started out doing blues covers and then working in self-written folk based tunes, Isaac and Blewett have molded it all into a unique songwriting style. It's full of pastoral images from their Albert County homes, natural references galore, and a celebration of family, craftsmanship and rural living. Then, those words get put on a variety of styles, as cellos, guitars, sound effects and singing get piled up and added in new and different ways for each tune. There's always a wow moment in each song, where you marvel about who came up with that idea. The guitar alone is remarkable, as Blewett ignores the traditional chord strumming for a rhymic plucking style, providing the beat, sometimes switching to banjo for that. Then you add all these new techniques they've learned. This is progressive stuff, from folks you would think would be regressive due to their ...ahem...age...and rural proclivaties. But in fact, they've embraced the modern technology that allows them to be such a powerhouse with just two voices and instruments out of Albert County."
Bob Mersereau CBC Radio July 2010 |
