Turn Turn Turn – All Hat No Cattle
Fueled by traditional country & folk instincts polished with some clever genre-bending storytelling, this rootsy Minnesota/Wisconsin trio offers 11 tracks for their 3rd studio album All Hat No Cattle (Drops March 6/Simon Recordings/37:24). Recorded & produced at the home studio of Adam Levy (vocals/acoustic & electric 6 & 12 string guitars/banjo/keys/Fender VI bass/mandolin/ percussion).
The trio of Turn Turn Turn is comprised of Levy & Savannah Smith (acoustic guitar) & Barb Brynstad (bass). The opener is steeped in Appalachian rootsy precision as the trio’s harmonies blend seamlessly with their picking on “Antietam.” There’s a weave through the female vocals similar to Emmylou Harris, generously mixed, not stirred, of Alison Krauss. That’s a rich vocal flavor.
While not as deep & diverse as the late singer/songwriter Lee Hazelwood, Adam Levy’s vocal part is unvarnished with authenticity on “Last Drink,” that’s brushed with the lovely vocals of Savannah & Barb. “Cities” is a little more mainstream in flavor with a Spanish dance pace. The trio’s unified vocalizing is colorful & their stringed-instrument drive is all the more engaging.
There have been more intense pairings in the past, like Golden-Carillo (“Fire In New Town”), the Rooftop Singers (“Walk Right In”) & folk giants Peter, Paul & Mary (“I Dig Rock n’ Roll Music”). But this team serves a purpose in this era. They’ve taken an old-fashioned genre & given it a new coat of paint. A more prominent female lead decorates the folk-oriented “Magnolia Tree,” — played with more of an Alison Krauss-country inflection, not lost on this excellent tune.
Not losing their vintage rock n’ roll punch, the trio tightens their straps for “Trouble,” (not the Elvis tune) though it does have that Memphis Scotty Moore lead guitar flair. Just a little echo, lots of linoleum for the dance steps & lacking only in the cherry coke with a scoop of vanilla ice cream to make it perfectly nostalgic.
Sliding into a “Grievous Angel” Gram Parsons-type country element is “Hand-Me-Down Sadness.” Adam asserts himself well in this genre & the playing is not outlaw country, it’s not corny old-fashioned Country & Western – it’s country rock with whiskey in their twang. It comes around again on “When Love Reigns.”
The set has a share of contemporary country pop, ala the type of country crossovers that aligned with the ‘60s pop charts. The voices are always aurally colorful. Never fixed on any one stylization. Each song has its own essential pop-country attraction. The group’s clarity in their performance is admirable.
Highlights – “Antietam,” “Last Drink,” “Cities,” “Magnolia Tree,” “Trouble,” “Hand-Me-Down Sadness,” “When Love Reigns” & “Hungry Ghosts.”
Musicians – Josh Kaplan (drums/percussion/effects), Scott Wenum (percussion), Peter J. Sands (Hammond B3/piano/Wurlitzer/bells), Joe Savage (dobro/pedal steel) & Adam Schmidt (pedal steel).
An 8pp stitched lyric insert is included. CD cover & trio portrait courtesy of Max Menacher. CD @ Bandcamp & https://www.turnturnturnmpls.com/