# A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z




Carly Dow - Ingrained

  by Malcolm Carter

published: 21 / 2 / 2016



Carly Dow - Ingrained
Label: Carly Dow
Format: CD

intro

Essential and gripping debut solo album from Canadian singer-songwriter, Carly Dow

Yet another female singer-songwriter hailing from Canada that has been pigeon-holed into the folk and roots genre means that the debut from Carly Dow will have to be something a little different and more than a little special to grab our attention. Thankfully, ‘Ingrained’ is both…and then some more. The ten songs are all written by Carly, and she co-produced the album with Darwin Baker and Jesse Matas. There are many factors at play here which make ‘Ingrained’ an album that’s so easy to fall in love with. Firstly, there is the fact that Carly covers so much ground over the ten tracks; no two songs are cut from entirely the same cloth. Despite this the album flows beautifully. The opening song, ‘Olive Branch’, will have the listener thinking that they are in for an album of old-time standards, largely a cappella, Beth Hamilton and Rayannah Kroeker add harmonies while Carly’s co-producers join the singer in providing handclaps and stomps. There are gospel inclinations and a haunting quality to the song; it’s certainly a striking and unexpected way to open the album. Simple in execution but powerfully addictive, it’s the type of opening cut that makes it difficult to move on. The song runs at only 1.51 which initially seems far too short until, after a few plays, it’s obvious why the song ends so quickly. It’s perfect the way it is. It makes sense; it’s complete and it’s achieved its goal and grabbed your attention. But, if you were left thinking that the following nine songs are going to be variations on ‘Olive Branch’, then the next track, ‘Soil to Dust’, quickly dispels those thoughts. While the haunting qualities displayed on ‘Olive Branch’ are carried through to ‘Soil to Dust’, Carly reveals that there’s so much more to her vision than that opening cut would have you believe. Some almost ghostly banjo (from Carly) and Matt Filopoulos’s lap steel provide the perfect backdrop to Carly’s vocals which strangely, given the sparseness of that opening cut, are even more effective. Whereas ‘Olive Branch’ surprised and the vocal performance by all concerned was exceptional, it’s this follow-up song that hammers home just what an exceptional vocalist Carly is. The ethereal atmosphere conjured up by just the banjo, lap steel, drums and bass is particularly impressive, but it’s Carly’s vocals which steal the song. At once sultry, powerful and yet world-weary, it’s a remarkable performance. ‘Too Much to Go Back’ has more of a dreamy feel. The sleepy lap steel injects an obvious country influence, something that Carly hasn’t explored fully up until this point. Again there are no unnecessary sonic embellishments. Acoustic, bass, drums and lap steel are all that are needed to convey the longing and sadness in Carly’s vocals. For all that there’s a positive air to the song, Jesse Matas joins Carly on vocals and the effect is quite something. As with the previous songs, because of the limited instruments used, there’s a feeling of space in these tracks but they never feel too exposed, too stripped down. That ghostly feel returns on ‘Not a Songbird’. Backed by just her banjo and Rhodes supplied by Matas, the way that Carly’s vocals intertwine with those of Rayannah Kroeker immediately draws the listener in. It’s rewarding and unusual that it’s difficult to compare Carly’s vocals with those of any other singer. Her vocals are immediately appealing. On a song like ‘Casanova’ Carly’s vocals are accompanied by just her classical guitar and Darwin Baker’s harmonica, and this bare setting only serves to bring out the warmth in her voice even more. A harder, edgier country sound informs ‘This Dress’ where Carly and her band also introduce a few shades of the blues. Lyrically and melodically it’s the most immediate track here. On an album that wasn’t packed with little gems it would shine even more brightly. Tucked away at the halfway point on ‘Ingrained’, it merely shows yet another side to this most talented artist. An album that displays so many different facets of Carly’s musical vision, ‘Ingrained’ is already showing signs of becoming a firm favourite. For all the various descriptions leveled at her music it’s really impossible to pin Carly Dow down to one particular genre. Her press release comes close with the description of ‘Wildcrafted soul-folk’, but that only covers about half the music on ‘Ingrained’. It’s more accurate to suggest that Carly Dow has really developed her own little niche and sound. That she is going to appeal to the folk and roots crowd is undisputed, but she truly is one of those rare artists who really is carving out her own space on her own terms. ‘Watch It Go’ features two acoustic guitars and two vocals, those of Carly and Darwin Bake. Yet far from being sparse, the warmth and fullness of the performance has you checking the notes for confirmation that just three musicians and two voices have created such a heartening sound. Beautifully presented, the cover images and booklet compliment the music perfectly; ‘Ingrained’ looks set to be the first essential album of 2016.



Track Listing:-
1 Olive Branch
2 Soil to Dust
3 Too Much to Go Back
4 Not a Songbird
5 Casanova
6 This Dress
7 Down This Road
8 Yours & Mine
9 Watch It Go
10 All Sleep Tonight


Band Links:-
https://www.facebook.com/carlydowmusic
https://twitter.com/carlydowmusic
http://www.carlydowmusic.com/
https://www.youtube.com/user/carlydow11



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