Memphis ensemble, the Memphis Dawls (Holly Cole, vocals, guitar: Jane Misener, cello, tambourine: Krista Wroten-Combest, vocals, violin, keys, mandolin) perform music of an eclectic taste. While this may be their full-debut, the girls have a great deal of experience with other respective bands to their name, both in Memphis and in other areas Stateside have opened for Emmylou Harris and Jack White.
Their music is loosely termed by Cole as ‘post-Americana-alt-chamber-folk’, but that does not tell all the story. For their wondrous vocal harmonies and succulent string arrangements are joined by songs entangled in love, heartache and with the likes of Richard Ford’s pedal steel (“The Law” and “Ride Alone”) to go with a beautiful, mandolin, cello, bass, percussion and harmony vocals fuelled “Anna” the standard is set. Matched it is too. Not least by the vintage Memphis soul shaped “Liar” (Charles Hodges on Hammond organ, Teenie Hodges on electric lead guitar, Ken Coomer (ex-Wilco on drums, plus strings and Susan Marshall helping out on backing vocals) it builds up a momentum the listener wont want to end. 
Recorded at the town’s Ardent and Sun Studios the record though beautifully produced (“Ride Alone” being a fine example as an outpouring of their love of complex arrangements is released), I felt a little more edge wouldn’t have come amiss; as in “Shoot Em Down”. With only five players, label mate Mark Edgar Stuart (bass) partnering hugely enjoyable mandolin, drums, acoustic guitar and trumpet it is most captivating. More good stuff is found in “Where’d You Go My Love”, an urgent piece it not only contains the usual wonderful harmonies but trumpet and a carnival-like feel good factor. An ideal song for them to release as a single, and possibly have wonderful poetic, heartbreak song “Wait For You To Heal” on the flip side.
Maurice Hope