Caitlin Cary Begonias CD

Personnel: Caitlin Cary (vocals, violin); Caitlin Cary; Logan Matheny (acoustic guitar, electric guitar, Moog synthesizer, vibraphone, drums); Will Kimbrough (acoustic guitar, baritone guitar, electric flute); Pete Finney (electric guitar, pedal steel guitar); Aaron Oliva (double bass, upright bass, electric bass, bass guitar); Brad Jones (vocals, acoustic guitar, electric guitar, harmonium, organ); Thad Cockrell (vocals, acoustic guitar); Pat Buchanan (acoustic guitar, electric guitar); Audley Freed (electric guitar); Jen Gunderman (piano); Skillet Gilmore (drums).
Audio Mixer: Brad Jones .
While Caitlin Cary's solo albums have made it abundantly clear she can make splendid music by her lonesome, there's no arguing that she collaborates very well indeed, as her work with Whiskeytown and Tres Chicas has proven. For Begonias, Cary teamed up with another gifted singer/songwriter, her friend Thad Cockrell, and the two mesh beautifully on these sessions. Cockrell's voice bears a slight resemblance to Cary's old vocal partner Ryan Adams on this set, and his lonesome tenor blends perfectly with the sweet ache of Cary's instrument; the beauty of their harmonies alone would make this an album worth hearing, but that's hardly Begonias's only virtue. Cary and Cockrell wrote most of these songs together, and they've conjured up a handful of gorgeous meditations on love and its absence, and "Whatever You Want," "Two Different Things," and "Something Less or Something More" reveal a quiet strength and passion that's nearly heartbreaking in its power. The album doesn't rock out much, but "Second Option" shows they know how when they're of a mind, and the backing combo offers marvelously sympathetic support, especially Pete Finney and Pat Buchanan on guitars and Logan Matheny on percussion. And Cary and Cockrell's take on the old Percy Sledge chestnut "Warm & Tender Love" is so beautifully realized that it's enough to make you forget the truly great original. Begonias is an album that was produced on a modest scale, but its beauties and rewards are tremendous, and one can only hope this is the first in a long series of collaborative efforts between this two very compatible artists. ~ Mark DemingUncut (p.87) - 4 stars out of 5 - "[A] delicious collection that has you thinking of George & Tammy, Gram & Emmylou and even Don & Phil..."
Dirty Linen (p.90) - "The entwining of Cary's and Cockrell's voices brings a lovely fragility to songs....The writing is likewise impressive, with good melodies and down-to-earth lyrics, while the arrangements feature lots of tasteful steel work."