The International Treasures – Together, We Are
Together, they are Doyle Turner (vocals/guitar) & Ted Hajansiewicz (vocals/guitars) & this self-produced 10-cut recorded in Minnesota & Nashville comprises Together, We Are (Drops Sept 17– Supper Club Collective) their debut CD.
The tunes begin with a vintage sounding folky type performance followed by the deep strains of a cello & bright mandolin plucking. Quite inviting. While there’s a faint Grateful Dead in its more traditional manner there’s also a folky well-performed duo vocal mindful of the wonderful partnership that was Lowen & Navarro.
The songs aren’t impressive in an “in-your-face” manner but more delectable as morsels of tasty melodies & excellent vocalizing. “Wind Dying Down,” is not a long song but it has vitality. The cut “Wild,” is catchier & the addition of pedal steel colorizes the music.
These songs will breeze through your ears & settle down any conflicts in your mind. The music is diversified with delectable sounds from varied instruments that decorate the light melodies.
The duo doesn’t try to come off as a modern-day Everly Brothers, but they do have that richness & diversity. There’s a pleasant balance of fast & moderately tempo-ed tunes. “Nothing Changes,” sounds like it could be a Grateful Dead acoustic tune. It’s fairly low-key with little fanfare or showboating but each melody has its own richness, cleverness & catchiness.
Many songs are anchored in serious subjects, but they’re colorized by the voices & the arrangements aren’t forceful. They push each tune along with appealing charm. The duo also sounds like they’re having a good time recording these songs & sometimes that’s half the battle.
Tunes, while good, are typical melodies & enduring performances & they fill out the album as durable songs with diversified instrumentation. “Anywhere With You,” while not a Simon & Garfunkel oriented does have the depth of country/bluegrass-oriented partnerships like Brooks & Dunn.
“Gimme Some More,” is an excellent country-rocker that would earn repeated listens. The duo mixes their music up well without ever losing focus or adding any politics. They use wonderful words in their tunes “torrential rain,” isn’t heard that often. The shuffle of “Nice To Know You,” is different & well-conceived. What is ideal with this team is their musical diversification & freshness — how they present each tune. Nothing is ever redundant.
Highlights – “Wind Dying Down,” “Wild,” “Nothing Changes,” “Gimme Some More” & “Nice To Know You.”
Musicians – Joe Meyer (upright bass), Brent Fuqua (mandolin), Nikki Lemire (harp/piano/vocals), Steve Peffer (piano/organ), Dean Severson (pedal steel), Mikkell Johnson (fiddle/banjo/vocals), Ricky Parker (drums), Troy Foss (percussion) & Chris Holm (harmonica) with the Love Choir.
Front cover CD pix & portrait standing by Tom Smouse. The 38-minute CD @ Bandcamp with music samples + https://www.theinternationaltreasures.com/