http://www.lindsayloumusic.com
http://www.earthworksmusic.com
Michigan roots ensemble, Lindsay Lou & The Flatbellys weave in and out of one or two musical genres, without losing the listener. Always within the confines of String band music, Lindsay leads her charges with an innovative grace. The lady has the marvellous Joshua Rilko (harmony vocals, mandolin, banjo, mandola and bass), Mark Lavengood (dobro, guitar, lead vocals on “Sometimes” and harmony vocals, “The Fix”) and PJ George 111 (bass, harmony vocals and on selected cuts, cajon, harmonica, guitar and flatfoot, hambone) give support to her lead vocals (she also plays guitar).
The band, and the lead vocals of Lindsay Lou in particular have seen praise come from he likes of David Grier (flat-picker) and Jimmy Gaudreau (Chesapeake, Tony Rice etc) who has among other things this to say. “As a vocalist, Lindsay falls into an elite category – those who can sing anything you throw their way. I’ve known and have been fortunate to have worked with a few of these individuals over the years: Charlie Waller, Keith Whitley, Linda Williams and Moondi Klein, to name a few and attribute that association to my having developed into a more well rounded player. Lindsay will have that effect on the players around her as well, while she is honing her already sharp vocal skills and recording new material that should please any ‘well-rounded listener’.
As for the record, the music is excellent throughout. There is no better illustration of the band’s all round work than on “Everything Had Changed” as a frenetic, but not overly so rhythm takes charge, with Dobro being rampant. While with a subtle undercurrents you also have “Old Song”, and with Lavengood performing lead vocals, “Sometimes” and “The River Jordan” likewise fit the slot. Of a mellow note “The River Jordan” compliments down and dirty piece “Smooth And Groovy”, and where you once again you have some splendid, and on this occasion funky sounding Dobro to go with Lou’s probing blues steeped tones. Lindsay Lou & the band encompass a number of genres and are perfectly suited to them all, folk, blues, and bluegrass. And there are others that come to mind, “Hot Hands” for instance is a pot-pourri of sounds, even hints of Nick Lowe’s “I Her The Sound Of Breaking Glass” are interwoven into the song. Refreshing stuff.
As for the title-cut, “Ionia” it is an instrumental that not only contains lots of melodic claw-hammer banjo but Cajon, flat footing and hambone. Tasty it is too.
Maurice Hope