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March 28, 2024


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The Be Good Tanyas
Chinatown (Nettwerk)

By: Mark. A Lawrence the IV

I find the more I love an album the harder it is to write about it, this is especially the case with Chinatown, the sophomore release of The Be Good Tanyas. A more cohesive collection than their first album, but no less brimming with the raw energy so endearing of their debut. The intricate layering of instrumentation and the three-piece vocal harmonies on this album are so overwhelmingly beautiful it makes my head hurt. On "It's Not Happening" and "The Junkie Song," even the quietest moments retain a highly acute level of structure that exploits the spaces of silence. There is emotion spilling over in all these songs, with their rendition of "House Of the Rising Sun" you can almost see the ladies lost in the music so completely, eyes closed, Frazey Ford tapping into her inner soul singer. The way she seems to sing through the lyrics catching them at their most emotional peak, to relay them to the listener like the words of a lover is amazing. This is awesome music, which is reliant of root music and yet is completely new all at the same time. The song writing skills of Ford and Parton have no doubt matured on this second album, and the way the ladies sing makes me feel as though I have crashed my ship on these rocks, lured by there siren's song.

Rating: A+

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