Roots Round-Up (The Onlies, Carroll Sisters Trio, Sparrow Smith and more)

Simply put, The Onlies are the best old-time stringband out there. I can hardly believe how amazing their new album, You Climb the Mountain (The Onlies ****) sounds. They tear out the gate on the title-track from the great old-time fiddler Gaither Carlton (Doc Watson’s father-in-law) practically slavering as they bolt down the racetrack. This is high-octane old-time fiddling and picking, but they know how to slow it down too, focusing on the beautiful vocals of Vivian Leva and Riley Calcagno (who also perform as Viv & Riley). And I’m not the only one noticing. Fiddler Sami Braman is touring with Willie Watson now, and fiddler Leo Shannon just joined up with Bonnie ‘Prince’ Billy. This is Gen Z trad, full of spit and vinegar, eager to leave their mark on the tradition.

The new album, Radiance (Carroll Sisters Trio ****), from the Carroll Sisters Trio, is a great example of how talented young fiddlers can both pay homage to tradition and create new compositions. Real-life fiddling sisters Emilie and Nora both have an uncommon ear for melody and a great knowledge of the tradition. I got to know them at the Acadia Festival of Traditional Music and Dance in Maine this summer, and both were ferociously curious about traditional fiddling, eager to learn new ideas and techniques. It shows on their new album, which is replete with tasty original melodies and very well-crafted arrangements of favourite traditional tunes. Shout out to their producer, Boston fiddler Katie McNally, who helped them pump up their sound so the album truly rings!

At first listen, you might think Sparrow Smith is cut from the same cloth as current roots superstar Sierra Ferrell. You might not be wrong either, both have deep ties to New Orleans, venerate the lovely sound of vintage jazz vocals, and come out of the travelling folk-punk street musician world. Smith’s new album, Carolina Mountains (Sassafras Sounds ****), is a sweet, touching ode to her current home in North Carolina. She’s mostly known for her work with rootsy band The Resonant Rogues, but a solo album this good tells me her time has come. With a guest spot from Cat Clyde, some cogent political commentary in the songs, and even some delectable Appalachian fiddle tunes, this album has it all.

I’ve never been able to quite say what sets Irish-American traditional music apart from Irish trad, but the new album, Wallace Avenue (Lisnafin Records ****), from New York fiddler Brian Conway is the best argument yet for Irish fiddling in America. His tunes are glorious throwbacks to older times and have a lift to them rarely heard in Irish trad today. The sprightly piano from Brendan Dolan helps certainly, reminding me of the old Michael Coleman 78s. In fact, Conway learned from Andy McGann who was friends and played with Coleman, and in turn teaches that Coleman style to his students. It’s lovely to think of the 100-plus years of New York Irish fiddling that’s behind Conway’s unique sound. He grew up deep in the tradition, and it truly shows.

Maybe this is a bit out of leftfield, but man the new album, Last Sip of Summer (Awong Entertainment/ONErpm ****), from Hawaiian mainstream country singer Maoli is great. It’s got heavy production, lots of songs about trucks and girls, melodies like you’d expect from today’s big country artists. But it sure is refreshing to hear a Hawaiian voice in this scene so completely filled with bro’d out white guys, and Maoli’s confidence and joyful interpretation of the modern tradition just feels like a breath of fresh sea breeze. He’s part of a new wave of Polynesian-American artists taking on country, and I’m here for it!