Washington Post, Wednesday, December 10, 2003
At Birchmere, Some Folk Worth Meeting
Birchmere attendees who went to see Kris Delmhorst and Laura Love, on Tuesday's bill with Catie Curtis, got four great artists instead of two -- and that was even before Curtis's set. Delmhorst, a rising star of the acoustic folk scene, garnered a reception that proved her many appearances on local stages have paid off.
Accompanied by fellow New Englander Mark Erelli, she offered many of her finest compositions, including the recent "Juice + June" and "East of the Mountains." Her sweet, mellow voice was a perfect match for clean, spare lyrics and melodies that hinted at bluegrass, blues and Joni Mitchell-style jazz fusion without being beholden to any genre. And Erelli, a critically acclaimed roots musician, stretched his rock wings with muted but powerful electric solos that melded perfectly with Delmhorst's acoustic strumming.
Less subtle, but more complex, was the Laura Love Duo. Love's plangent, sometimes acrobatic singing soared above the deep notes of her electric bass. Her partner, Jen Todd, offered the sonic middle ground with a dusky, bluesy voice and an extroverted hand on the guitar.
The two wielded an awesome power on their chant-filled, funk-inflected songs, including the chilling, compelling slave-auction tale "Octoroon" and the defiant anti-Bush declaration "I Want You Gone."
Along with Curtis's set, these performances created an embarrassment of riches -- and yet left listeners wanting more from every performer.
-- Pamela Murray Winters
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