Information/Write-up
"..everything old is new again on the self-titled debut from the Once, a young folk trio (below) that puts a contemporary spin on the province’s Irish and Scottish influences. Beneath its buzzing electric guitar, “Maid on the Shore’’ is a thoroughly modern sea shanty, while the ballad “Marguerite’’ salutes the majesty of the hills of Newfoundland and the nostalgia they induce. Close harmonies turn Tom Waits’s “The Briar and the Rose’’ into an elegy. The real stunner, though, is an a cappella cover of Leonard Cohen’s “Coming Back to You’’ that conjures the beauty and simplicity of the late Kate Wolf."-Boston Globe
Perfect vocal harmonies thick enough to stand on. Think of the heavenly mix of Alison Krauss, Emmylou Harris and Gillian Welch, back them up with The Chieftans, and let Daniel Lanois swim around in it, and you're still only halfway there.
-Amelia Curran
Newfoundland’s The Once is comprised of Geraldine Hollett of Burin, Phil Churchill of Corner Brook and Andrew Dale of Coley’s Point. The folk trio met in the summer of 2005 while working with Rising Tide Theatre in Trinity. It was there that they discovered a mutual appreciation for the music of their native Newfoundland and the British Isles. Shortly thereafter, The Once was formed. Superb musicianship, clever arrangements and stunning harmonies make The Once a fresh and exciting new group whose rise will be something worth watching.
-Newfoundland and Labrador Arts Council
Instrumentation
Geraldine Hollett: vocals, tambourine, bodhran
Phil Churchill: vocals, acoustic and electric guitar, bodhran, mandolin, violin percussion
Andrew Dale: vocals, bodhran, banjo, bouzouki, mandolin, organ, accordion, bass, acoustic guitar, percussion, piano
Produced by Mark Neary. Recorded by Don Ellis at Fat Track Studios, St. John’s.
Mixed by Laurence Currie at Sunnyside Studios, Toronto.
Mastering by Noah Mintz at Lacquer Channel Mastering, Toronto.
Layout by Jud Haynes based on linocuts by Duncan Major.
Track 1 written Dave Cousins (SGO Music Publishing);
Track 2 lyrics by Al Pittman (courtesy of the Estate of Al Pittman), composed by Phil Churchill, Nell’s Waltz composed by Andrew Dale;
Tracks 4 and 12 written by Leonard Cohen (Leonard Cohen Stranger Music)
Track 5 written by Amelia Curran (courtesy of Amelia Curran);
Track 6 written by Scott Richardson (courtesy of Scott Richardson); Gerald Thomas’ Burnt Potato tune written by Emile Benoit;
Track 11 written by Tom Waits (Jalma Music)
buy the album here: http://borealisrecords.com/web/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=99&Itemid=70
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