The Magnolia Janes – The Light Years
This music is filled with airy tunes, bright ethereal lush melodies & sumptuous playing. The voices of Sarah & Ashley blend nicely & become almost unified. It borders on pop with a distinguished folksiness but more about that at the end.
The music is void of soul, blues, or hard rock elements. Its attraction is the pure pop-classical coherency. The song “Speed of Light” (song link on Bandcamp) separates their voices into individuals & cruises along a melodic path once taken by Brenda Lee’s “All Alone Am I.”
The 11 distant stars on The Light Years (Drops July 12/Be A Jane Records/36:25) were produced by Sarah Bonsignore (vocals/piano/organs), Ashley Riley (vocals/acoustic & electric guitar), James Treichler (drums/percussion) & John Willis (guitar/bass/drums).
There are Americana-roots offerings, but the songs paint sparkling pop/easy-listening pictures. Some in oil & others in watercolors. Certain songs even stride alongside ‘60s female pop singers with sincere innocent voices like Robin Ward’s “Wonderful Summer,” or Skeeter Davis’s “End of the World.”
With “The Sun In My Backyard,” their voices are gospel chorale-like & the harmonies are prominent. The singers are not projecting as rockers like Heart, dark as The Shangri-Las, or peculiar like The Castaways (“Liar Liar”). They may be closer in style to the Indigo Girls with a touch of Sarah MacLachlan whispery vocalizing. But on “Running” their forte shines – both voices come together in a well-arranged piece.
They’re never as powerful as the Mamas & the Papas since they don’t have the competing male voices that made that group special. The Magnolia Janes rely more on individual voices which are colorful & distinct. Their voices are also attractive solo. But the songs are well-sung & beautiful. Nothing challenging, controversial & nothing differentiates between each composition. Their aim is sure. Good lyrics, harmonies & lead vocals throughout.
With a tune like the excellent “Gotta Leave a Good Thing,” it makes for a good country song depending on the arrangement. There are many glittering songs here. It’s not a heavy-handed cadre of pieces. Everything is performed appropriately with expertise (“Same Side”) & easy on the ears.
Their final song (“This Old World”) places the duo close in a folky tradition & quality of both The Roches’ magnificently affecting “Hammond Song” & the great Canadian duo The McGarrigle Sisters (with daughter Martha Wainwright) on their “Jacques et Gilles,” “Matapedia” & stunningly emotional “Proserpina.” This would be a wise path to choose going forward…they could do it. Great voices & music such as The Magnolia Janes gain respect this way.
Highlights – “Speed of Light,” “The Sun In My Backyard,” “Running,” “Gotta Leave a Good Thing,” “Same Side,” “The Light Years,” “Five More Minutes” & “This Old World.”
Musicians – Will Kimbrough (vocals/guitars), Bill DiLuigi (guitar riff track #1) & Dubi Silverstein (acoustic guitar).
Color images courtesy of Trish Kaberle & their website. CD & “Speed of Light” song link @ Bandcamp + https://themagnoliajanes.com/
Song premiere: https://americanahighways.org/2024/06/17/song-premiere-video-the-magnolia-janes-the-sun-in-my-backyard/
