Howling Cat Records AHOBA-001; aprilhobart.com; playing time: 36:10
Leave it to the traditional bluegrass hotbed of New Hampshire to produce one of the year's most intersting singer/songwriter debuts. Obviously influenced by duets like Gillian Welch & David Rawlings and Kate Brislin & Jody Stecher, New England's April Hobart packs a lot into the 11 tracks that comprise Time to Travel. Much of the material is unique, and all of it is satisfying.
Hobart's smooth but smoky vocals are relaxed and assured, never rushing to get a syllable out before it has been savored. Modern folk troubadour Mark Erelli adds commendable harmony on three duets, including a loving rendition of Lefty Frizzell's "Mom and Dad's Waltz."
Two originals on this powerful collection merit special recognition. The title track, which sounds familiar from the first listen, features Hobart communicating timeless sentiments in a manner that evokes an earlier era. In "Loving Regret," filled with loss and conflict, Hobart sings, "I never got to tell him just what he meant to me, but I know he felt the same."
Rich Stillman's banjo contributions on thes tracks deserve mention. Currently with Southern Rail, Stillman lays down some fine five-string work here, as well as on "How Mountain Girls Can Love" and "Dad's Backstep," a reinterpretation of "Clinch Mountain Backstep." Hobart successfully approaches the former tune with a new vocal arrangement, making it her own, and adds lyrics to the latter.
April Hobart's voice is made for acoustic music. Most cuts on this disc feature four-piece instrumental backing, with a few numbers, including "The Green Blues," receiving sparser but still effective arrangements. Time to Travel is a most impressive recording debut that inspires repeat playing. DT
read the review in Bluegrass Unlimited....
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