Ellis Paul & Vance Gilbert
Side of the Road
Rounder
Stalwarts on Boston’s vibrant folk music/singer-songwriter scene, Ellis Paul and Vance Gilbert have crossed paths and played shows together for years, but this is their first album together. They have dug out some favorite folk songs alongside a few original compositions, and take turns steering the tracks in the right direction. The clear-voiced Ellis Paul sings lead on tracks like Neil Young’s “Comes a Train” and Woody Guthrie’s “The Morning I Am Born Again,” while Vance Gilbert’s soulful and smooth tones lend distinguished serenity to Dave Carter’s “Gentle Arms of Eden” and Van Morrison’s “Comfort You,” among others. What really sets this pair apart is how sweet and naturally their vocals blend together on all tracks, creating a sense of closeness and comfort. The acoustic instrumentation is sparse but effective and eloquent, underlining the album’s general feel of compassion and warmth. This is indeed a sweet and good-natured album of acoustic singer-songwriter folk.
Rounder Records: http://www.rounder.com/
