Jump the Fire

California-based vocalist and clawhammer banjo player Evie Ladin shut herself away in a damp, dark cabin to compose the songs for this release. If that sounds a bit depressing, the resulting music is anything but: her old-time Americana is feather-light and buoyant, helped along by her honeyed vocals and spare instrumental arrangements. Ladin's bandmates include Keith Terry and guitarist and bassist Erik Pearson. Delicate three-part singing is the cherry on top of the band's sound-world.

Ladin's songwriting is strong on evocative, story-telling lyrics, giving her songs a contemporary feel. However, her tunes do not always carry the same musical clarity of ‘Ease on Down’ and ‘Honey Lou’, and a bit more of a balance between originals and covers would have helped the flow of Jump the Fire. When she gets it right – as on the bluesy, body-percussion filled ‘Walking in a Straight Line’ – her music can fly.