Reviews
Artist:Trash Panda Album: Fine And Dandy
Label: Self Released
Tracks: 10
Website: https://trashpandaband.bandcamp.com
Trash Panda may be a fairly new duo from Yorkshire but Tess Leslie and Phil Snell will be familiar names to many. Tess was one-third of a cappella band Yan Tan Tether whilst Phil has been in many bands over the years. Both are multi-instrumentalists with guitars, mandolins, banjos and fiddle in their arsenal. Having been friend for a long time they got together to explore their love of American old-time and folk and from that has come début album "Fine and Dandy", which is certainly is.
The album consists of traditional tunes as well as those from writers as diverse as Gillian Welch and Irvin Berlin, along with their own compositions. Opening the album is "Old Mountain Line", from Canadian band Po' Girl. This certainly has that jangling old time feel with Tess on vocals and banjo with Phil providing mandolin, bass and backing vocals. Jess' delicate voice is the perfect way of expressing the longing of somebody heading home to their own true love.
Phil provides "Sweeter Life", a sweet song on guitar with Tess and Phil's voices working well together. Tess has a lovely voice, high and delicate, that fits well with the lyrics of just wanting a better place to be in; free from worry and stress with plenty to eat. It's counterpointed nicely with the ideaa of swallows migrating and finding that they end up somewhere similar to where they left. It strikes a chord in today's world.
Gillian Welch's "Hard Times" is very well presented with Tess on vocals and banjo and Phil on guitar. It's a very simple and stripped back piece and all the best for it. The only embellishment is a second overlay vocal from Tess on the chorus. Title track "Fine and Dandy" is another song by Phil, who is a skilled multi-instrumentalist. It has another old time feel of being fine and dandy, when you're sitting in an easy chair just watching the world go by and be happy with what you have.
Closing out the album is Phil's "Humanist Hymn" in praise of science and nature, being wonderful for what it is without any help. Quite a short track, with a scratchy violin and banjo backing it sums up what Trash Panda do well.
I enjoyed every song on this album. The production is straightforward, letting the instruments and voices tell the stories. This is a duo you could easily imagine listening to in your local folk club and they'd sound just like the recording. They are a folk club duo, I was half expecting Parish Notices and a raffle half way through, and the album is all the better for reflecting that. It's a bit of a gem and highly recommended.
If you're wondering, a Trash Panda is another name for a raccoon.
Tony Birch
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