Della Mae
Album: Della Mae
Label: Concord
Tracks: 11
Website: http://www.dellamae.com/

Della Mae is a Boston bred and Nashville based quartet with a difference. The band comprises four ladies who not only sing but who all play instruments too. Perhaps not unique, but pretty unusual especially to be as good as Della Mae.

As you would expect from a Nashville based band, the music is primarily Country based but with a touch of folk, blues and soul. Versatile is a good word to describe this band.

The harmonies are exceptional as are all the vocals. The use of the mandolin and fiddle is very cleverly woven into the music. The first track "Boston Town" offers a good insight of what is to follow.

This is the band's third album although they were formed in 2009. Not exactly prolific but they obviously rely more on quality rather than quantity. Their second album "This World Can Oft be" was nominated for a Grammy and I will be surprised if this one is not also nominated.

As I write this review, the band is performing at the Grand Ole Opry in Nashville which is a pretty good indication of how good they are.

I especially love some of the comments issued with the album by the PR Company. "Capturing creative chemistry," "spontaneous moments of inspiration," "a sensitive yet assertive approach." If they are trying to say that this is an exceptional bunch of supremely gifted singers and musicians, then that is correct.

I described the band above as being versatile and another word for the music would be eclectic as it covers so many different genres. I feel the band is best suited and most comfortable with their Country offerings but all the songs are delivered with passion and panache.

"To Ohio" is a superb track which highlights the harmonies on offer. "Take One Day" is a real barn dance number and I can just imagine bales of hay spread around with the smell of a BBQ to feed the audience filling the nostrils. It is also a real foot tapper of a number. "Long shadow" takes the pace right down. The last track "High Away Gone" invokes images of a Southern US Church on a Sunday morning. As I said, versatile.

This is an album that will appeal to a whole raft of people with differing musical tastes. It is classy, clever and musically superb.

Rory Stanbridge