The first time I listened to Crooked Still's second album, Hop High, I was stunned by the voice of singer Aoife O'Donnovan. It sounded so familiar, but I couldn't place it. Then it hit me, she sounds a lot like Alison Krauss, but different. Krauss has a beautiful, soft voice that I can only listen to a song or two at time. Any longer, and I'm afraid I'll get cavities. O'Donnovan isn't as soft, not quite as beautiful, but maybe because of that, it's better because I can have all I want and then go back for seconds!
The second time I listened to the album, voice comparison firmly in place, I still kept getting an odd sense of familiar-yet-different. This time, I couldn't figure it out on my own and had to pull out the liner notes. I learned that this wasn't your typical bluegrass band. Or country band. Or alternative country (or bluegrass) band. These guys use a cello to astonishing effect throughout the record. Grouped with a double bass and a banjo, the cello - played by Rushad Eggleston - turns the traditional high lonesome sound of bluegrass distinctly low.
The third time I listened to Hop High, confident about the music and the voice, that darned deja vu struck again. I began to realize that it was the songs themselves. They were familiar to me, but still different. I picked out Angeline Baker, but with lyrics? Shady Grove was there too, but much peppier than I'd ever heard it. And other classics are included as well, all in variations that make them new again and truly let the beauty of the song as well as the musicianship shine through. Flatt & Scruggs' Darling Corey, Robert Johnson's (!) Last Fair Deal Gone Down, even Gillian Welch's Orphan Girl all were....unexpected. Simple covers they were definitely not.
Needless to say, I'm still listening to Hop High and I'm still learning new things each time through.
Alex Todd, Head of Adult Services
