The Toronto StarBy John TeraudsTHE WAILIN' JENNYSBright Morning Stars (True North)
(out of 4)It's taken more than a year from recording sessions in cabin up in the Haliburton Highlands to this album's release date. This is the first studio album in nearly five years for the Wailin' Jennys, a bluegrass-roots trio originally from Winnipeg, and it's well worth the wait. All but one of the 13 tracks were written by the talented singers: Ruth Moody (who also plays guitar, banjo, accordion and bodhran), Nicky Mehta (guitar, ukulele, harmonica and percussion) and Heather Masse (double-bass). The bluegrass accent is rendered in muted pastels behind the women's signature tight three-part harmonies, and you can practically hear the quiet woods outside the recording studio. The songs are impeccably produced, but maybe the tracks are a bit too relaxed when heard back to back. The highlights: Moody's gospel-style “Storm Comin' ” and the Jennys' haunting, a cappella take on the traditional lullaby “Bright Morning Stars are Rising.”