is trio is made up of Eric D. Johnson, Josh Kaufman and Anaïs Mitchell. These names may mean nothing to the most European of us, but their respective careers are so dense that it’s impossible to just touch on them in a few lines. It’s worth mentioning some of the bands they’re part of or close to: The National, The Shins, Fruit Bats, Muzz. For a lucky few, in 2018 they decided to take a break together at the Eaux Claires Festival in Wisconsin. To our delight, the adventure didn’t stop there and they released albums, including their third LP in 2024.
Like the artists, let’s not beat about the bush: this is Folk with a veneer of Country and Americana. Listening to this record, you’re almost looking for your boots and stetson. That said, the three friends manage to maintain a fine balance, far removed from the dusty, mothball image of the style or some of the over-calibrated, sanitised modern productions made in Nashville. On the contrary, with a high artistic quality, the album features a succession of subtle tracks and others that could have a place in the pop charts, carried by the female and male voices, with different tessituras but timbres that are in perfect harmony.
In keeping with the guitars/bass/drums arrangement, and despite being partially recorded live, the soundstage isn’t the most impressive, but it’s perfectly pitched. With modern production, each instrument is perfectly defined, with the emphasis pleasantly on the guitars and vocals. The notes resonate and flow naturally. The difference in timbre between the various string instruments involved is effortlessly perceptible. A piano, a harmonica or a saxophone can be heard on some tracks.
