I've been a fan of Cherryholmes, a family band of the same name, almost from the first. They have a very interesting back story which I won't take the time to repeat here. It's out there to be found with a simple Google search. The gist being that they decided to take up Bluegrass music as a family and became world class almost overnight! From the beginning I've thought that eldest daughter Cia had one of the finest female voices in Bluegrass music, rivaling even such luminaries as Alison Krauss and Rhonda Vincent. I always anticipated she'd eventually strike out on her own solo career and looked forward to that day. When I learned of the breakup of the family band last year I was sure her time had come. Imagine how surprised and a bit concerned I was when I learned she'd hooked up with a fellow named Stetson and formed a duo. Duos are springing up like weeds these days and the thought of another one didn't thrill. Fortunately my worries were unfounded. Stetson turns out to be a vocalist perfectly matched to Cia. Their collaberation worked out so well, in fact, they decided to make it permanent and Cia became Mrs. Adkisson last month. They also released their first cd about the same time, an Americana EP appropriately titled Stetson & Cia. It's an 8 track collection of music that can't be too easily catagorized, but as far as I'm concerned it's country. Not radio country, but country none-the-less. I'm just as happy they chose the indie route rather than try to please the tastes of the music industry, and I err a bit by implying this isn't radio friendly, because it certainly could be if the industry execs were open to it. The track It's Been Too Long could easily pass as a country ballad. Surprise me radio people and pick up on it! The thing about Stetson is that he has a very radio friendly voice. He has the kind of baritone you expect from an Alan Jackson or Trace Adkins type singer. Cia's voice is so beautful that she could also pass as a regular country artist if she chose. In fact she's more versatile than I thought. Check out her gypsy jazz number with Cherryholmes titled Just You. Awesome!
I ordered the EP from their website and sent an accompanying note asking if they wouldn't mind signing it. I got a close to an immediate reply email saying they'd be happy to and that the cd was going into the mail the next day. Pretty impressive. I love dealing with indie artists! It was obvious the package was addressed with the same Sharpie that was used to autograph the cd. Again, pretty cool. I really love the EP. All tracks are great. This isn't Cherryholmes type, fiery bluegrass, but is very stripped down, lovely, acoustic music. They trade off lead vocals and all songs are their own writing. Cia is known as one of the top banjo players in the world. Her style here isn't the usual Scruggs picking you might expect, but is a little more laid back, hearkening back to an earlier era. My favorite track is I'm Not the One, a perfect example of Cia's great vocal work. The track titled Lullaby sounds like something Alison Krauss would record. I always thought she sounded similar to Rhonda Vincent in most of her cherryholmes work. She's seperated herself from such comparisons with this album. Her own style is emerging here. The goal was to keep things very simple, allowing the vocals to dominate. This philosophy is summed up in the following Frederic Chopin quote included in the liner notes: "Simplicity is the
highest goal, achievable when you have overcome all difficulties. After one has
played a vast quantity of notes and more notes, it is simplicity that emerges as
the crowning reward of art." They've certainly achieved that goal. Here's I'm Not the One:
Here's a video of their new single Waves:
Rating for the EP: Easily 5 Stars!
