Claire Lynch’s music comes from a crossroads where folk, bluegrass, and pop meet, with elements of all three creating an enchanting musical hybrid that’s difficult to pigeonhole but delightful to listen to.
On her latest outing for venerable Rounder Records (her first since 2006’s New Day), Lynch applies her astonishingly clear, pure voice to a carefully-chosen collection of tunes that positively pulse with a joyous celebration of life.
Lynch puts her cards on the table with the leadoff track, “Great Day In The Morning,” an unabashedly optimistic greeting to a new day’s possibilities and potential. With its lilting melody and Lynch’s soaring vocal, it proves an uplifting and inspirational opener, setting a sunny mood that prevails throughout.
Indeed, Lynch seems possessed of rare grace and wisdom, able to accept the inevitable, learn her lessons, and shoulder on with an eternally hopeful smile. Even when love’s gone astray, as in “The Mockingbird’s Voice,” Lynch tempers the mildly melancholy mood with almost cheerful resignation and acceptance.
“Face To Face” is a buoyant and bouncy declaration of faith seemingly infused with pure sunshine, while folk legend Jesse Winchester guests on his own “That’s What Makes You Strong,” another thoughtful tune that looks at life with gently homespun wisdom, enlivened by utterly gorgeous fiddle from Jason Thomas.
Even when Lynch is exploring darker subject matter - "Whatcha Gonna Do" poses the ultimate question as judgment looms, and the traditional sounding "A Canary's Song" and "Widow's Weeds" deal with death and the dark despair of a coal miner's life - there's an inescapably sunny quality to her delivery.
And any darkness Lynch delves into is more than dispelled by the sheer jubilance of such fare as "My Florida Sunshine" and "Barbed Wire Boys," both nostalgic but avoiding sappy sentimentality. The disc's darkest moment, in fact, comes with the final track, the mournful and dolorous "Woods Of Sipsey," though here, too, Lynch finds comfort in the promise of rest rather than despair at the oncoming darkness.
Production this time out is deliberately sparse, showcasing the talents of Lynch’s touring band. On hand are Jim Hurst (guitar, banjo, mandolin), bassist Mark Schatz (who also contributes clawhammer banjo), and Jason Thomas on fiddle and mandolin. All three contribute harmony vocals along with supple and irresistibly propulsive accompaniment.
In lesser hands, the almost unrelenting optimism Lynch displays could get cloying. Here, though, it’s simply an accurate reflection of a genuinely warm and wise personality, brought to delightful life through music that’s both heartfelt and expertly executed. Recommended!
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