Hearts in Bloom

Hearts in Bloom is the smashing debut album by Corn Nut Creek, the collective sobriquet of American fiddler and vocalist Danielle Vita and Australian fiddler, banjoist and vocalist Tanya Bradley. As she often does live, Australian bassist and vocalist Kimberley Wheeler joins Vita and Bradley on most of the album’s nine original songs, plus a cover of Kate Bush’s ‘Running Up That Hill’. With the sort of simpatico interplay that only comes with deep knowledge and careful listening, Corn Nut Creek mine the peculiar colours, textures and themes of Appalachian music, which, according to the artists, include ‘the divinity within the natural world and our unique connection to it.’ All well and good, metaphysically speaking, but what sets Corn Nut Creek apart from other skilled interpreters of Appalachian, Americana and other roots styles is their imaginative arrangements, rhapsodic lyrics and the rarefied nature of their voices, especially when conjoined in two- and three-part harmonies. The beautiful melody of ‘Limbs’ is rendered in delicate, singular lyrical lines punctuated by exquisite harmonic exultations. Similarly, ‘I Choose You’ shimmers with solo and group vocals accented. It’s a brilliant listen.