ReviewShine Wednesday: The Honey Dewdrops & Emma Hill

Every Wednesday, I feature a brief review of at least one album that has been submitted to me through the ReviewShine website. I have cleverly titled this recurring segment “ReviewShine Wednesday.”

Today marks a first for the ReviewShine Wednesday feature. This is the first time an artist has appeared for a second time in this space. I first featured The Honey Dewdrops back in March for their 2009 album If the Sun Will Shine. At that time, I compared the husband and wife duo to Gillian Welch and Dave Rawlings.

Now Kagey Parrish and Laura Wortman are back with their new release These Old Roots. True to the album’s title, The Dewdrops once again find a sound that is heavily rooted in American folk and traditional Appalachian music with a modern ear for singer/songwriter melodies and harmonies. Nine of the ten songs in this collection are originals. The only exception is “Can’t Get a Letter from Home,” a traditional tune from the Appalachian foothills of Magoffin County, Kentucky (You might remember that song from Brett Ratliff’s 2008 CD Cold Icy Mountain under the title “Darlin’ Don’t You Know That’s Wrong”).

The Honey Dewdrops will play the WDVX Blue Plate Special September 21 at noon (Eastern).

The Honey Dewdrops: Amaranth (Buy Album)

We also have a bonus, second artist today in the form of Alaskan singer/songwriter Emma Hill. Hill’s sophomore offering Clumsy Seduction is a fine collection of laid back folk ballads that would make a perfect companion during those long, cold, Alaskan nights. Hill’s voice is just as soothing as her songs and blends as nicely with the cello on the title track as it does with the banjo and steel guitar on the more up-tempo “One Glass too Many.” NPR listeners may also recognize Hill’s name. She was recently featured in a Morning Edition story due to the unique nature of her current tour. Hill and her band bought, “All-You-Can-Fly” passes from JetBlue and are using them to fly to 22 shows in 13 states in 30 days.

Emma Hill: One Glass too Many (Buy Album)