Watkins Family Hour
Album: Watkins Family Hour
Label: Thirty Tigers
Tracks: 8
Website: www.watkinsfamilyhour.com

L.A. based Watkins Family Hour are, as their name suggests, a collective based around the Sean and Sara Watkins axis (both of Nickel Creek), and also featuring Benmont Tench (Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers), Fiona Apple, Don Huffington, Greg Leisz and Sebastian Steinburg. For the singer-songwriter-multi-instrumentalist Watkins siblings, this project has long been an oasis from the rigours of the road, a laboratory where they can try out new material or master beloved cover songs. And that's exactly what they have done on this beautifully interpreted selection of prime covers - an album that was recorded live over three days which they hope captures the free-wheeling spirit of the collective's live shows.

Of course not having use of the private FATEA jet to whisk me over to LA to see if such claims are indeed valid means I may never actually find out for myself, but what I can assuredly testify to is that this collection of 11 songs has been put together with much love and thought, and the arrangements honed and inspired by the bands monthly show at L.A.'s famed Largo, where they welcome an impressive array of musician friends old and new.

Here's a bunch of musicians that are clearly enjoying themselves, and that enjoyment shines like a beacon throughout. Their take on Dylan's "Going Going Gone" from the "Planet Waves" album is a particular case in point. In my opinion Dylan has never been the best interpreter of his own songs, I believe that others do that better, and Sean Watkins immediately bright vocal timbre lifts this song to new heights. Couple that with some irresistible pedal steel by Greg Leisz allied to Belmont Tench's subtle piano infills and the song immediately takes on a whole new dimension.

Traditional bluegrass tune "Hop High" is given a sassy blues slant yet still firmly retaining it's Appalachian roots, climaxing with duelling piano and fiddle, whilst Lyndsey Buckingham's "Steal Your Heart Away" is stripped of it's big lush Fleetwood Mac style production and given a much fresher and leaner approach. The song is sped up slightly and it's americana roots bought more to the fore with the emphasis on the the soulful vocals of Sara Watkins and once more the Tench - Leisz trade-off partnership.

It's also very easy to see where the band have the most fun live. "Prescription For The Blues" (Saunders Montgomery), "Where I Ought To Be" (Harlan Howard) and "The King Of The 12 Ounce Bottles" (Lee Ving) are good old fashioned country blues played to perfection - and of course it ain't country blues without misery and alcohol!

Covers albums are by their very nature, hit and miss affairs. Fortunately, Watkins Family Hour have invested their time and care into working new arrangements to the songs in the live setting, and then successfully transferred that live feel, love of the songs and joy of playing into this self-titled debut album. Folk tunes, bluegrass jams, wailing voices, acoustic strings and good old fashioned musical revelry - what's not to like?

Ken Brown
www.squarerootspromotions.co.uk