Be Good Tanyas: Blue Horse : Music Reviews : Rolling Stone

Album Reviews

You're whistling "Dixie" as you push your wheelbarrow down a rutted country lane: Suddenly a steamy summer downpour drenches you to the bone and makes you run for shelter --where the sound of the Be Good Tanyas would make for an ideal welcome. On its debut, this all-female British Columbia trio, much like kindred new traditionalist spirits like Gillian Welch, explores a carefully chosen selection of deep country, early American folk, lonesome blues and soul. The Tanyas proffer both original tunes and new, surprising arrangements of old-time ballads such as the Creole classic, "Lakes of Pontchartrain." Down-homey banjo licks skip around deep-woods harmonies, while finger-picked guitar and mandolin contradance with sultry fiddle and bass. Head for the barn and listen to this album as you roll in the hay.

ROBIN AIGNER
(September 24, 2001)