[.ca] Kane Welch Kaplin

From Amazon.com:
The third in a series of albums by guitarists, singers, and songwriters Kieran Kane and Kevin Welch along with multi-instrumentalist Fats Kaplin is somewhat deceptively titled, as Kane's son Lucas is also aboard, making it a quartet. His restrained and meticulously placed drums and percussion shadings help give this warm folk its heartbeat. Kane Sr.'s startling and bizarre folk-art cover painting (his work also adorns the group's previous albums) is the boldest aspect of this low-key project. Kane and Welch's stripped-down songs shimmer with Southern heat, lazy, lovely, and measured. They trade vocals and harmonize on a set of 11 originals and a closing cover of the public-domain tune "What Are They Doin' in Heaven Today?" that trod down dusty back roads at a languid yet deliberate pace. Kaplin's slithery fiddle and Kane's high, lonesome banjo on "Callin' You" capture the song's somewhat cautionary lyrics with help from stark yet taut percussion. Nothing is rushed, forced, or molded into commercially accessible pop. This is pure, unfiltered folk, hotwired from the spirit and soul of the participants and sprinkled with religious imagery. These musicians long ago quit compromising, instead creating music that is austere, sincere, and honest. Kane Welch Kaplin isn't meant for background listening; it's made to be absorbed while reading the lyrics and concentrating on the passion, subtle talent, and earnest approach of an American collective that just keeps getting better. --Hal Horowitz

Another triumph:
Those who have been following these guys for the last few albums know what fine music they make. Welch and Kane are excellent songwriters (covered many times), and the finest of singers. All of the band are consummate musicians. Every time I return to this recording (and its predecessors) I am struck anew by the beauty and sincerity on display. I even like the cover.

• Ain't Gonna Do It
• I Wish I Had That Mandolin
• Red Light Blinking
• That's What I've Got
• Last Lost Highway
• Zagnut
• Callin' You
• Highland Mary
• Dark Boogie #7
• No One Told Me
• 12 Chimes
• What Are They Doin' in Heaven Today?