Review: Lost in the Fog, Not Far from the Tree

One strength of this Seattle based band, (and believe me, they have many strengths), is the quality of their original songs. Michael C Moore took part in the creation of seven of the eleven tracks, and other band members also did their fair share of writing these superb cuts! But more on that momentarily.

The musicianship of all band members is truly exceptional... they have tremendous chemistry, (which undoubtedly comes from the more than ten years that most of them have spent playing together.) Not only is their instrumental prowess evident on every track, but also there singing is simply sterling. If you aren't getting out your credit card to purchase this yet, please read on!

From the first cut, the optimistic and beautiful "Home In My Heart", all the aforementioned attributes of this band are made very clear. Mark delivers a lovely lead in his warm rich tenor, which draws in the listener. The vocal harmonies are tight and gloriously put forth, and you'll be left smiling at the lovely message this song presents.

"Carry Me Home" is simply stunning, and incorporates elements of the spiritual, swing, and lots of soul, immediate in Jake's fantastic vocal performance. The ending will steal your breath away.

"Favorite Son" follows, a down-home bluegrass tune with fabulous solos by all! This one's sure to get you up and dancing!

"Mother Gold" is admittedly one of my favorites. Jake found the lyrics to this piece among her late mother-in-law's papers, and was so compelled by them that she put them to music. This is a gorgeous piece, and as with all tracks on this album, is delivered with passion and prowess, with Jake's warm contralto out front.

"Juniper Berry" is another great tune filled with inspired playing, while "I Haven't Started Missing You Yet" is a beautiful country-tinged song about love, loss and denial. "I Feel Lucky Today" is sure to please any listener, while the final instrumental, "Rude Dude In a Bad Mood", is an extraordinarily fun tune with a killer opening banjo lick that will make you rush for your volume control!

"Quarters and Pennies" is one of those gloriously well-done story songs that is sure to haunt you, with it's themes of love gone wrong, alcoholism and a broken family unit. But you won't be sad for long, and will be singing right along with the upbeat beauty, "Home To Virginia."

Despite the somberness of parts of the album's closer, "Timber Town", I smile each time I hear it, being the daughter of a logger myself. I can certainly relate to parts of the song, for sure. Again, dynamite harmonies, and David Lange's accordion work is a great touch.

There's something for everyone on this release... tight harmonies, stunning vocals, terrific musicianship by all, genre-bending compositions, and eleven killer tracks brimming with passion on all sides! Truly exceptional work! You may want to buy a couple copies, as this is sure to be in heavy rotation! Highly, highly recommended!