The Greencards

The accents of British and Australian born trio the Greencards are subtle but still present in their harmonious voices, adding roundness to the twang of their good old country style, a sheen of rain on the fenders of the old pickup. Viridian is the group’s third album and is currently making a huge splash on U.S. charts, including topping the Billboard bluegrass charts, a massive accomplishment for some folks who ain’t from ’round there. Every song is a set of intertwining, creative musical and vocal threads. Most were collaborative efforts and even the individual instruments and voices are inexorably intertwined — Carol Young’s alto tones have the same solid grounding and underlying power beyond the sweetness as the bass she plays. Kym Warner and Eamon McLoughlin, on mandolin and fiddle (and other stringed things), respectively, top out the harmonies with a sharper purity of sound. The tapestry of the album is punctuated by a variety of textures: "Who Knows” takes a more buoyant approach, with urgent chucking of the fiddle and mandolin, and "Su Prabhat” by McLoughlin and Robbie Gjersoe has an ancient, spatial feel as a purely instrumental number. "I Don’t Want To Lose You” aches with need in every word and interesting melodic turn. It’s rare to find an album of recorded music that feels spontaneous and fresh with every listen. Each time through Viridian a new thought or lick emerges and the colours shift again. Claire