Wild and Clear and Blue

What started out in 2014 looking like a one-off or short-lived supergroup of Americana singer-songwriters – Sarah Jarosz, Aoife O’Donovan and Sara Watkins – has blossomed into an ongoing project that consistently produces enlightened, emotionally resonant music. Wild and Clear and Blue conjures much of the same magic captured by the trio’s full-length debut, See You Around. Glorious vocal harmonies, simpatico interplay and sophisticated lyrical expression are abundantly spread across 11 tracks. Jarosz’ lilting voice opens things up with ‘Ancient Light,’ a joyful and melancholic meditation on life’s cycles. The title-track, a tribute to Nanci Griffith & John Prine, spotlights Watkins’ brilliantly refined fiddling. The loping rhythmic core of ‘Mother Eagle (Sing Me Alive)’ gives the trio space to stretch their instrumental chops. With accompaniment by drummer JT Bates and multi-instrumentalist and producer Josh Kaufman, Wild and Clear and Blue is a work of extraordinary depth and charm.