Album Review: The Honey Dewdrops - Tangled Country

Five years ago this summer I heard the The Honey Dewdrops for the first time at Floydfest 9 and came away very impressed with the acoustic duo. Now Laura Wortman and Kagey Parrish are set to release their 4th album Tangled Country - an original collection of rootsy folk and blues. The album was recorded in their Baltimore hometown, produced by Nicholas Sjostrom (also playing bass and piano) and featuring Dave Hadley on pedal steel and E.J. Shaull-Thompson on drums. Wortman and Parrish have been performing together since 2003 and their stripped down sound is powerful starting with Wortman's vocals. She's simply impressive, then combine Parrish's soft harmonies as in Lowlands,  Horses, and Numb and you have some excellent songs. Loneliest Songs and Parrish's lead in Fair Share Blues are my two favorite tracks. Listen to the end because the musicianship in the last track Remington pretty much sums up this enjoyable release. Pair with my favorite Baltimore brewery, Brewer's Art. Cheers.

FloydFest9 Day3 - Sunday

The last day of any festival starts with a little anxiety. For campers, the gear has to be packed; and then there's the ride home. We had to return early for sitter reasons, so we were determined to see as much music as possible in a shortened day. Luckily Floydfest obliged. We started off with husband and wife team The Honey Dewdrops on the Front Porch. Loved their version of Prine's "In Spite of Ourselves". We were remaining on the porch for Mountain Heart so in the break we rolled down the hill to see a few songs from the Jason Spooner Trio. The trio had traveled down from Maine and they exude a more west coast sound than the folk tunes usually composed in the northeast. We really liked this sound and the trio is a tight little outfit. As soon as we heard Mountain Heart finish their sound check we raced up the hill to grab a seat. This was an extremely informal performance with the band playing requests, responding to questions, and wondering where Aaron Ramsey was - he was actually back at the hotel waiting for a shuttle that never arrived. This was an entertaining set as the band interacted with Jon Lohman and the crowd. Another version of Whipping Post ensued - this time with telephone sounds from the keyboards. There was also a train song and a gospel a Capella. Very nice.

The rest of the afternoon was a blur - we started with the final set of the weekend for the Hackensaw Boys. Another tight performance by the band and the first where Ward didn't have to change a string while singing harmony. They also brought aboard a special guest who jammed right along. Afterward we headed to the VIP Tent for more craft beer and our first look at Town Mountain. Unfortunately we spent more time talking to newly made friends that we could concentrate on the set - maybe next time. Then it was off to hear a few songs from Tift Merritt, Rose's Pawn Shop, and then Bearfoot. I feel for the later, they are trying to find a flat picker and Jake Stargel filled in finely. And a typical great performance by Jason, Odessa, and Angela. We finally found ourselves back at the Beer Garden in order to see The Steel Wheels. We had missed Trent and the boys at Ocrafest and in our last stop at Harrisonburg - so we really made an effort to fit them in. Love their sound. Finally, we had a decision to make, stay and listen to William Walter, stick around for Grace Potter & The Nocturnals, or start the trip to relieve the sitter. Sadly we picked the latter - next year we will stay through Sunday night. But for now, thanks to the volunteers and Across-the-Way Productions for a fabulous weekend. And once again more photos are available at the MyJoog Gallery.