Rachel Harrington City Of Refuge CD

The cover of Rachel Harrington's second full-length album (following 2007's The Bootlegger's Daughter and her 2004 EP of demos, Halloween Leaves) is a sepia-toned photograph depicting a field on which a circus is being erected; it's a picture that could date from the mid-19th century. Harrington's music also often sounds like it could date from the 1850s, or at least as far back as the 1930s, anyway. Accompanied by bluegrass instrumentation -- fiddle, dobro, mandolin -- she sings in a rough-hewn country voice songs with a rural setting that touch on love and death. Some are traditional (the medley "Old Time Religion"/"Working on a Building," "I Don't Want to Get Adjusted to This World"), some original, but the old-timey feel remains constant. The playing is stellar, and Harrington convincingly re-creates the sound of a mountain singer. The inclusion of Bobbie Gentry's hit "Ode to Billie Joe" is appropriate, but it would be more effective if Harrington hadn't lopped off the last verse of the song and if she were aware of how Gentry spelled her first name and the name of her title character (with "ie," not "y"). ~ William Ruhlmann

Arranger: Rachel Harrington.

MOJO: FOUR STARS: "Beguiling"Performing Songwriter, Staff Pick: "will steak your heart""enthralling stories ... adorned in old-timey acoustic arrangements ... a classic American album." FOUR STARS! ~Maverick"connecting with the ghosts of American folk music" ~Americana UK"like the young Emmylou' ~Utne Reader"FOUR STARS!" ~ The Irish Times"the singer-songwriter who is captivating the hearts of Britain and Europe ... an ancient resonance combined wit a modern feel" ~Country Music People FOUR STARS "Scary bluegrass ... Gothic tracks on an inspiringly original album ... Q recommends!" ~Q"Rachel's blessed with a really attractive (and suitably ballsy) voice and ... totally convinces with the sheer directness and clarity of her lyrical expression and ... the pure unadorned beauty and gritty confidence of her vocal tone ... an abundantly fine new set from this enchanting chanteuse." ~NetRhythms9/10 STARS! "... as good an example of traditional Americana as you’ll find anywhere ... a great storyteller ...It’s been a good year for Americana already, and Harrington has just made it a lot better." ~CrackerJack"FOUR STARS!" ~ The London Sun"'City Of Refuge' - dips even deeper into Americana's bulging burlap sack and emerges with some arcane, but wonderfully fatalistic treasures which are all well worth coveting." ~Whisperin & HollerinReared among the Pentecostal pines of Oregon, Rachel Harrington has been doing things in the wrong order for quite some time. She'd had extensive radio play before performing her live show, and she was opening for Grammy winners and nominees before releasing her first record.Now, hot on the heels of her critically acclaimed 2007 debut, The Bootlegger's Daughter, Rachel presents City of Refuge. Her backing band is Tim O'Brien (fiddle), Mike Grigoni (dobro), Zak Borden (mandolin), and Jon Hamar (upright), with Holly O'Reilly and Pieta Brown on backing vocals.Peopled with characters seeking respite, escape or salvation, City of Refuge farms personal and mythical stories from the American West, including tales inspired by the memoirs of prostitutes during the Alaska Gold Rush, the cantankerous Harry Truman of Mt. St. Helens, and short story writer (and fellow Oregonian) Raymond Carver. The album is produced by Evan Brubaker and mixed by David Ferguson (Johnny Cash's American Recordings III & IV). Several tracks from City of Refuge have already been selected for in-store airplay by Starbucks.Fresh off a three month European tour, Rachel is currently touring behind the record as a duo, joined by multi-instrumentalist Zak Borden (Willy Mason).For current tour dates, and to sign up for Rachel's monthly spam-free mailing list, please visit: www.skinnydennis.com

Personnel: Rachel Harrington (vocals, guitar, banjo); Zak Borden (guMojo (Publisher) (p.115) - 4 stars out of 5 -- "This Oregonian's second album is stuffed with characters from the old West....Beguiling."