Rachel Harrington - Celilo Falls

  by Lisa Torem

published: 16 / 1 / 2011

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Review

Rachel Harrington’s unique talent has deep roots. Being a single parent, having a strong Pentecostal upbringing and thriving in rural Oregon where she fondly recalls her ancestors, this singer-songwriter, who beats to a unique drum, finds ideas everywhere. Gospel and Motown and standards by greats like George Jones and Loretta Lynn flooded her subconscious when she started learning guitar at the age of twelve. In 2007, she produced her own record, 'The Bootlegger’s Daughter’ which shot up to number one on the Euro-Americana Chart and landed on the number 36 spot on the Americana Music Association Chart. ‘City of Refuge’ followed, as did a three month European tour. The last several years have included multiple touring and opportunities to teach songwriting. These are skills which Harrington appears to have available in her back pocket. Her recent recording, 'Celilo Falls', contains 13 tracks; all written by Harrington except ‘House of Cards’ which she co- wrote with the album’s producer Evan Brubaker and ‘Spokane’ which was written by Art Hanlon. The album is filled with Harrington’s tear-soaked voice; it’s a voice that’s from another generation, never slick or polished, or sonically airbrushed, it is genuine and undiluted. The themes are mostly wistful and occasionally humorous, but always subtle. ‘Goodbye Amsterdam’ ends with this lovely stanza: “Time I get to Glasgow/ I’ll feel right at home/The rolling of the road settling in…” ‘He Started Building My Mansion Today’ is based upon her grandfather’s thoughts. “I feel it in my bones, I’ll soon be on my way…” is how the conversation resulted in song. Harrington goes on to discover the beauty of place with ‘Spokane’ “Standing at the river” and “looking out on an empty ground” Harrington examines the details which colour our everyday locales. ‘Pretty Saro’ is a tribute to the “American musical lineage” which stems from the Scottish, English and Irish traditions. A plaintive ache appears as she sings, “When I think of Saro in dawn’s early light/She’ll always be crying as she was that poor night.” The levity comes through in a song about settling for someone who isn’t “Mr. Right.” ‘You’ll Do’ is brilliant in its work-a-day, natural discourse. ‘You Don’t Know’ is the ‘Blowing in the Wind’ of this generation. “Who makes the moon do pirouettes? Who forgives, or just forgets, You don’t know…” This is a simply structured series of verses which gradually build in meaning. The romantic ‘Let Me Sleep in Your Arms Tonight’ is pristine and poetic: “Where the wildflowers bloom and the mustangs roam, the prairies ocean wide…” The final song is ‘The Last Jubilee’ which is Harrington’s “version of heaven.” The songs are made more powerful with the addition of the following excellent musicians: Fiddle and pedal steel (Dan Salini), mandolin (Ronnie McCoury), slide guitar (Rod Clements) and bass (Jon Hamer). On 'Celilo Falls', Rachel Harrington does a remarkable job of merging angelic vocals with twangy instrumentals, and infusing intimate family histories with just the right amount of seasoning.

Track Listing:-

1 House Of Cards
2 Here In My Bed
3 Little Pink
4 Goodbye Amsterdam
5 You'll Do
6 He Started Building My Mansion In Heaven Today
7 You Don't Know
8 Pretty Saro
9 Bury Me Close
10 Where Are You
11 Spokane
12 Let Me Sleep In Your Arms Tonight
13 The Last Jubilee

Have a Listen:-