This trio from Lancaster, Pennsylvania impressed me hugely with their eponymous debut from 2012 and this full length follow up is, if anything, even better.
The threesome may come from a classical background but what shines through here is a deep reverence for America's rich folk country heritage. These are influences which were showcased in 2013's Echo Sessions, an EP of songs by the likes of Townes Van Zandt, The Louvin Brothers and Nanci Griffith.
While remaining faithful to such sources, The Stray Birds bring such freshness and vitality to the material that the songs anything but quaint nostalgia trips.
The album features ten originals and two covers: Make Me A Pallet On The Floor, here titled simply Pallet, and Woody Guthrie's Who's Gonna Shoe (Your Pretty Little Feet).
The first of these is nothing like the memorable weary blues treatment by Gillian Welch but instead transforms the standard into a lively swing number; a nice idea but one which fails to capture the pathos of the lyrics.
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The version of Guthrie's song is more successful, a duet that humorously stresses the radical feminist message ("I don't need no man").
Fine though Oliver Craven's voice is, the six songs on which Maya de Vitry sings lead vocals are, for me, the highlights. The languid grace and emotional resonance she brings to tracks like Never For Nothing and Might Rain are sufficient to melt even hardened hearts.
There are no prizes for guessing that the Best Medicine of the album title is music. The lyrics to title track explain its healing powers: "If the body is a temple, the soul is bell, and that's why music is the best medicine I sell".
Whatever remedies they're selling, I'm buying.
The Stray Birds' website
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