Post Description

Doghouse Roses - This Broken Key (2010)
mp3 VBR~228 kbps | 73 MB
Acoustic, Alternative, Folk

“Doghouse Roses are primarily Paul Tasker and Iona McDonald and their music is steeped in an appreciation of of all things Pentangle, Fairport Convention, Gillian Welch as well as the usual American touchstones.

The opener ‘Atonement’ is an almost busked folk number which leads smartly onto the rollicking travelling tune ‘Woodstock’. They sound like a duo used to the intimacies of the road and the shared song but so far the fare is light.
‘Trouble Gathering’ ups the ante with a hymnal featuring picked guitar and stately vocals. McDonald’s voice is as sharp as a pin and the harmonies she provides for herself are clear and effective. There are hints of Linda Thompson here as well as Denny. And from here on in the album seems to have more conviction and self belief. ‘Thunder of the Dawn’, ‘Twisted Wheel’ and ‘The Rain’ are well constructed and soulful. There are flavours of the Indigo Girls in the clarity of the voices and production.

These flavours come together with ‘Blue Moon of the Mountain’ which has a high lonesome sound and some beautiful harmonies and a lovely minor key in the lead vocal. This is accomplished stuff. ‘Any Kind of Love’ sounds out of place, perhaps it’s the drums but it doesn’t fit with the vibe of previous tracks but ‘Survival’ pulls it back on track and the final track ‘Highwayman’ is a standout.

Recommended for folkies and anyone who appreciates fine, well crafted songs delivered with conviction. <americana-uk>&#148;

1 Atonement
2 Woodstock
3 Trouble Gathering
4 Thunder of the Dawn
5 Twisted Wheel
6 The Rain
7 Blue Moon on the Mountain
8 Any Kind of Love
9 Survival
10 Evermore
11 Devil in Me
12 The Highwayman