www.forfolkssake.com - UKBy Paul KellnerThe Wailin Jennys’ Bright Morning Stars is of the utmost quality, but requires a little time to take root in one’s mind. The harmonies are perfect, the dynamics are truly moving, and every track thoughtfully arranged. This being said, it is an album that must be savoured, and thus, may take multi-tasking listeners a few rounds before they find their connection to it. It is not hard to imagine that the Jennys harmonies take a bit of focused attention to achieve, and the enjoyment of Bright Morning Stars requires the same.The production quality of the album is superb. From start to finish the sound is crisp with just a touch of wonderment-adding studio enhancements. Added instrumentation is simple and appropriate—the solo in ‘Storm Comin’’ comes right in time and the horns on ‘Last Goodbye’ give the final track the stateliness it deserves.‘Mona Louise’ will leave a lasting impression. It is a song that has all the earmarks of a song that would be gratifying using a number of arrangements. The reverb and twang of the Wailin’ Jennys version nicely complements the rest of the album, but, after listening, one may be inspired to wonder what a good pop band or tenor singer-songwriter’s interpretations of ‘Mona Louise’ would yield. This song may very well have a number of incarnations in the future.As said earlier, Bright Morning Stars is to be savoured, and so the listener would do well be patient through the down-tempo middle portion of the album. The final tracks, ‘You Are Here’ and ‘Last Goodbye’ emerge as lucid, rousing songs that give the album a sense of completion. Yet another superb effort by the Wailin’ Jennys.
The Trio Turn in Their Most Polished Disc to Date
www.americana-uk.com - UKBy Keith HargreavesFive years in the making, Bright Morning Stars is a highly anticipated follow up to the Jenny’s 2006 offering ‘Firecracker’. Expanding on the broad palette of that disc, BMS opens with the understated soul of ‘Swing Low Sail High’ and then steps out into the glorious space that inhabits track 2 ‘All The Stars’ – a wistful delicate hymn that delights as much in what is not heard as what is.A gorgeously plucked ukulele providing a mysterious and entrancing musical bed; Track 3 continues the delicacy and sense of restraint. ‘Bird song’ sees the girls wrapping their harmonies and vocal circle games round the perfectly produced notes. There is passion and melancholy here in spades. These girls sing with a precision that belies the depth of emotion coursing through the songs. Even the flat out gospel lite of ‘Storm Comin’’ has that vocal clarity that is a trademark of this album. The listener can pick out each singer and follow her vocal line throughout the song.The title track is highlight with it’s acapella take on an Appalachian hymn. This really is like hearing clear water spilling down a mountainside. Pure and unadulterated. This may not be on the radar for many Americana fans but this reviewer would urge you to listen. If you do; you will hear something beautiful.
The Wailin' Jennys - Bright Morning Stars
www.whisperinandhollerin.comBy Martin RaybouldI've had more than my fair share of grief in the past for my fondness for 'wailin' women'.There is, I recognise, a breed of female bluegrass and/or folk singers with voices are very much an acquired taste. I'm thinking of artists like Iris Dement, Victoria Williams or Hazel Dickens.It would, however, be significantly easier to 'sell' this Canadian trio particularly as it turns out that their name is a pun on country icon Waylon Jennings rather than a statement about their singing style.These three women based in Winnipeg, Manitoba produce such dulcet tones that they will surely melt the hearts of even the most prejudiced listeners.This is the third album by the Jennys each of which feature Ruth Moody and Nicky Mehta. The third member has changed with each release and this time round she is New York based singer Heather Masse.This threesome democratically alternate the song writing credits and lead vocal responsibilities with four songs apiece.Moody and Mehta both play acoustic guitar as well as accordion/banjo and ukulele respectively. Heather Masse just sings. A dozen musicians are also credited with backing instruments but the arrangements are kept simple and their contribution is rightly understated to give prominence to the vocals.Much credit here must go down to producer, Mark Howard, who draws upon vast experience with the likes Lucinda Williams, Tom Waits, Emmylou Harris and Bob Dylan.Howard recognises that nothing should detract from the gorgeous harmonies and his production brings out the complimentary sound of soprano (Moody), mezzo (Mehta) and alto (Masse)to perfection.The album centrepiece is the three way a capella title track which has strong echoes of Alison Krauss' baptism song , Down To The River To Pray, from the soundtrack to Oh Brother Where Art Thou.Ruth Moody's atmospheric 'Storm Comin' and Nicky Mehta's What Has Been Done and Last Goodbye are other songs that stood out for me.These are mellow folk-blues songs with a strong sentimental lilt with a line like "open wide your wounded heart, feel yourself be blown part" from All The Stars is typical of the strong romantic mood.The melodies are so soothing that, perversely, I almost wished for a few blemishes (real wailing?) to give a little extra edge but there's no getting away from the fact that this is an exceptional album which is full of warmth and grace.8/10 Stars.
The Wailin' Jennys - Bright Morning Stars
The Daily Mirror - UKThe third original album from the New York/Canadian trio is an intoxicating blend mixing heartbreak, cross-patterned harmonies, classical, jazz and Celtic folk. Shine on.4 Stars.
Album Review - The Wailin' Jennys "Bright Morning Stars"
Yahoo! Associated ContentBy Jonathan SandersIf you're looking for the next great crossover folk album, look no further than the Wailin' Jenny's Bright Morning Stars. The album, from Winnipeg, Manitoba's Juno-award winning folk combo, is one of the finest folk albums to come out in years, blending classic Americana songwriting with a tinge of early Dixie Chicks styled harmonics, and it's the kind of album which plays so cohesively from start to finish it will dare you not to listen repeatedly.The word "crossover" was made for the album's opening track, "Swing Low, Sail High," which country radio programmers should be frothing at the mouth to give airplay to. It's a beautifully melodic piece of harmony-based songwriting, with a lyric that moves from heartbreak to salvation in four minutes. "Setting sun don't weep for all the things you lose, morning comes as sure as it must die" soprano Ruth Moody sings late in the song, and it's heartbreaking and redeeming at the same time in its simplicity.The trio's musicianship is sublime. Each track smartly layers instruments constructively, in that nothing ever overpowers. Each element plays into the whole to help fuel the overall melodic structure, even down to the multi-layered background vocals which rarely miss the mark. All this is put on full and stunning display on the album's central track, "Bright Morning Stars," a public-domain folk melody which has been performed notably in the past by Emmylou Harris, among many others. The Wailin' Jennys do the song in pure, beautiful a cappella, layering their vocals to form a haunting, ethereal core to the album.The remaining songs on the album orbit this center, creating a radiant whole which shines like the stars of the album's title. Rarely does a vocal trio shine so brightly in almost every aspect of their performances on a full album, and they deserve to receive wider exposure beyond the borders of Manitoba. No one else in Americana-based folk music is crafting original songs this haunting and inviting, which makes Bright Morning Stars stand out all the more.Bright Morning Stars is currently charting at #12 on Billboard's Folk Albums chart and at #4 on the Bluegrass chart. Wouldn't it be great, though, if the album were to catch on with fans of general country? In a world where Taylor Swift is a worldwide superstar bringing pop music to so called "traditional" country stations, it's about time real roots music made a comeback. This album is the most deserving so far of 2011 to get that shot.
New Album from Canadian Folk Roots Trio Following Three Award Winning Albums
Electric Ghost - UKBy Lee EdwardsAll three band members Ruth Moody, Nicky Mehta, and Heather Masse contribute equally and play a variety of instruments; acoustic guitar, accordion, banjo, and ukulele.The title track, Bright Morning Stars, is a traditional Appalachian hymn that they sing a capella to shimmering and etherial effect. Elsewhere they are joined by the cream of Canadian musicians including Bill Dillon, Kevin Breight, Colin Cripps, Richard Moody plus regular sideman Jeremy on fiddle.The theme of what's been lost, whether the passing loved ones, a lover gone or a family that is far away is emotionally touching.A beautiful and haunting album, from the heart.
Wailin' Away - Canadian Folk Band to Perform in Frederick
Gazette.Net - Maryland, USABy Jordan EdwardsGreenwich Village in the late 1950s. San Francisco in the ‘60s. These are places American audiences associate with folk music. They are communities where friendships and acoustic guitars blended to make memorable songs.Folk is also big up north. In Winnipeg, Manitoba about 70 miles from the point Minnesota becomes Canada, the Wailin' Jennys came together to form a trio known for its harmonies and eclectic songwriting. Nearly a decade after the genesis, Ruth Moody, Heather Masse and Nicky Mehta are some of the most respected folk musicians in the business."One of the great things about Winnipeg is there is a lot of resources for musicians, which helps a lot of cross-genre pollination," says Moody. "[That is] probably why Nicky and I met in the first place. We were in slightly different scenes, but we were both singing backup for a mutual friend. Nicky had a great voice and was a great songwriter."They weren't even supposed to be a real band."We talked about getting together with the other founding member, Cara [Luft], for one show to sing together on each other's tunes," Moody recalls. "It sold out right away, so we added a second show, and that sold out. There was a chemistry and, before we knew it, we were getting offers from folk festivals around the country."This Saturday at the Weinberg Center in Frederick, the audience can hear the Jennys sing music from their latest album, "Bright Morning Stars." The show comes a night after a sold out performance at the Montpelier Arts Center in Laurel. Throughout the 13-song "Stars," the album dips into roots country, bluegrass and jazz. None of the tracks, however, stray far from the tight earthy sound that fans have grown to love on their first two releases."We didn't go in to make it deliberately sound different," Moody says. "I think there's actually a continuity there that is really nice. I think fans will feel that it's a real Jennys record."Part of the album's success is owed to producer Mark Howard, who has previously collaborated with Lucinda Williams and Emmylou Harris. The songs on "Stars" are polished, but maintain an organic feel somewhere at the intersection of Alison Krauss and Neko Case."He had a really light and relaxed presence," Moody says of Howard. "He was very into creating a vibe and letting those special moments happen. And they did."In 2007, Heather Masse joined the group, replacing Annabelle Chvostek. Masse brought in jazz influences and a formally-trained ear. A native of Maine, she studied jazz at the New England Conservatory of Music. It didn't take long for Masse to blend with Mehta and Moody. She was flexible, too. To add bottom to the Jennys' sound, the multi-instrumentalist learned to play bass."She was just a perfect fit musically and personality-wise," says Moody. "We sang together in a bathroom at a venue where she came to check us out. It felt great. We knew from right there that it was going to work out. It wasn't really a change in direction. It was just sort of adding to the pallet."In Canada, the Jennys have achieved a high level of success, earning multiple Juno (Canadian Grammy) nominations. The Billboard Charts have been kind to the band, too. Both "Firecracker" and "Bright Morning Stars" made noise on the Heatseekers, Bluegrass and Folk charts. Upon its release last month, "Stars" became the No. 1 folk album in America.When they're not contributing to the Wailin' Jennys, all three singer-songwriters work on their own material. Mehta's song "Begin" appeared in the feature film "The Cake Eaters" and the Lifetime Series "Army Wives." Masse, who lives in the Catskills region of New York, has released the CDs "Many Moons" and "Bird Song." With many instruments— banjo, guitar, piano —at her disposal, Moody released her debut LP last April.Despite all the side projects, Moody says the Jennys have no problem balancing both aspects of their careers."The Jennys are my number one priority. While we're touring on the road, it's full time for everybody," she explains. "I try to do solo shows when I can. I made my record when we were on hiatus. It seemed like a perfect opportunity to do that."With a new hit album and a tour bus driving across North America, don't expect the band to break up the harmonies anytime soon.
Album review: "Bright Morning Stars"
The Washington PostBy Geoffrey HinesIt’s always tricky to assemble a vocal harmony group from singer-songwriters. The knack that makes the harmonies work — the ability to blend selflessly — often conflicts with the essential element of songwriting — the ability to offer a strikingly individual perspective.The three women in the Wailin’ Jennys have solved this by writing songs that offer an original vision on universal themes. And it’s at that universal level that their harmonies work on their new album, “Bright Morning Stars.”The dozen original songs — four apiece by Ruth Moody, Heather Masse and Nicky Mehta — are not tethered to the urban world but dwell on such timeless rural imagery as frogs, snow, stars and the moon. These images never lapse into mere sentimentality but are the occasion for meditations on loss and recovery. The three-part harmonies reach for optimism but never lose their undercurrent of melancholy.The one cover is the title track, a gospel hymn that grasps for optimism in a similar fashion, and the a cappella vocals blend hurt and hope with mesmerizing fullness. On the remake of “Bird Song,” from Masse’s 2008 solo album, that fullness gives the song a new dimension. Such camaraderie is necessary against life’s blows, as Moody implies on her song “Storm Comin’, ”: “Don’t run from the comin’ storm / ’cause you can’t keep a storm from comin’. ”