Po' Girl
Po' Girl (Hightone)
By Rebekah Meek
Published: November 10th, 2003 | 8:16pm
The Vancouver-based duo of Po' Girl -- Allison Russell and Trish Klein -- covers just about every style of roots music on its debut CD. Russell's clarinet adds a little bayou flavor to this New Orleans-inspired disc and Klein, of the Be Good Tanyas, adds a dash of bluegrass. One track, "Bleak St.," even includes a beat-box solo, and if that isn't enough variety, Russell's soulful voice, reminiscent of smoky jazz standards, adds a soothing harmony to Klein's soft country cadence.
The album opens with a swinging version of Elizabeth Cotton's "Gone in the Pawn" and includes a cover of Lester Brown's "Abilene." But the original songs are where this album shines -- particularly the slow waltz of "Malaise Day" and the soft melodies of "City Song." Most of the lyrics on this album are a melancholy record of lost cities and bad luck. On "City Song" Klein and Russell lament, "Talking about the city / So lonely and cold / Town with no pity / Don't it make you feel so old." On two of the tracks, "What Sad Old Song?" and "Backstairs Down," harmonies are added by Frazey Ford, also from the Be Good Tanyas.
The album moves from a swinging, upbeat tempo to a crooning, soulful melody in less than a verse. It brings so many traditional styles into perfect pitch and harmony that it creates its own distinct flavor.
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