Disc Review
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The Blackest Crow - Where Wild Birds Whistle
(Merriweather)
By Sarah Greene
In an age when you can layer as many instruments as you like in the studio, it’s refreshing to hear a debut EP as naked as the Blackest Crow’s. On it, Hannah Naiman and Emily Adam harmonize a cappella on traditional songs and originals that sound almost as classic.
With roots in the Flying Cloud Folk Club’s Young Folk Revue and family ties to Toronto’s folk scene, the Appalachian- and Georgian-choral-influenced duo sing slow, romantic ballads about lost and fleeting love, their voices floating together in close harmonies perfect for early mornings or late nights.
Oh Behold incorporates Motherless Child, Pretty Bird (by Hazel Dickens) takes off while staying grounded, and Callum is a standout original. Here’s hoping for a longer follow-up that incorporates Naiman’s banjo and Adam’s cello.
Top track: Callum
Oh Behold incorporates Motherless Child, Pretty Bird (by Hazel Dickens) takes off while staying grounded, and Callum is a standout original. Here’s hoping for a longer follow-up that incorporates Naiman’s banjo and Adam’s cello.
Top track: Callum