Dirty Linen October/November ’08 #138 page 16

LEELA & ELLIE GRACE
Where the Waters Run
Self-released (2008)

This second CD from sisters Leela and Ellie Grace is a smart and harmonious set, mostly comprising original songs with a bright sound and an uplifting outlook.  Their blend of complementary mountain-clear voices recalls the sound of groups like the Wailin’ Jennies and Uncle Earl, and the arrangements featuring mandolin, fiddle, banjo, and guitar also place them firmly in the modern American roots realm.  There are relationship songs like the sensuous “Morning Grace” and the driving, banjo-powered “Common Ground” that look at life with hope, while the haunting “Book of Names” addresses uncertainty with mythic symbolism.  The rousing “until a Drop Becomes a Flood” is one of the better songs written about the current American political climate, lamenting the treatment of immigrants but confident that better times will come.  The sisters also revisit a pair of traditional songs, “Red Rocking Chair” and “Singing Bird” with affection and style.

–Tom Nelligan (Waltham, MA)