If you like fleet fingered fiddle playing, gut twanging banjo riffs and gorgeous, heart wrenching vocal melodies, then you will love Winnipeg based roots/ country/ bluegrass quartet Oh My Darling.

 They have just released their  debut Cd “In The Lonesome Hours” just in time to get you in the mood to catch the end of summer fair and folk fest season.

The CD starts with a  seductively  upbeat dance number “Caught You Looking” then slows down a  little for the tender, gospel tinged “Won’t Need My Shoes (On Heaven’s Floor)”
Oh My Darling goes Celtic on the beautiful Celtic instrumental  “Pixou Falls,” which brilliantly showcases Rosalyn Dennett’s fine fiddle playing.

Allison deGroot‘s banjo is a highlight throughout but  Vanessa Kuzina’s  beautiful and often heart wrenching vocal melodies especially stand out especially on “Song After Song” and “ Little Darling Suzy” which is almost beautiful enough to make you cry thanks to the mournful vocal melodies backed by the sad fiddle.

 There are several particularly clever lyrics, namely  “All Hail Money” which is hands down my favourite track thanks to the upbeat beat, lyrics and some cool vocal harmonies which features, among others, James Keelaghan.

 Stand up bassist Marié-Josée Dandeneau does a stand up job throughout keeping the bluegrass feel alive.
The entire band come through with the bluegrass on another excellent instrumental featuring mass banjo and more fine fiddle on “Nobody’s Calico.”
These girls can play and aren’t afraid to show it, almost more importantly, their music can make you move or at the very least —  move you. Don’t miss them at the Slice , Aug, 25.

CD: In The Lonesome Hours

Band: Oh My Darling

Genre: Country/ folk/ bluegrass

Record label: none

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