Blue Blue Blue, a collaborative album from rising folk singer-songwriters Cat Clyde and Jeremie Albino, is a fun foray into the world of traditional blues and folk music. The seeds were sown during an initial meeting between the two in 2018, when both discovered they had very similar tastes in music, further quickened by a visit from Clyde to Albino's country home in 2019, and completed whilst whiling away the hours last year. Blue Blue Blue serves up an offering of nine emotive tracks, of which two were penned by Albino with the remainder being covers of some of the duo's favourite tracks from years gone by.
Kicking off with Blind Willie McTell's "You Were Born to Die", the tone is set early as Clyde and Albino present a predominantly stripped down, minimalist approach throughout. With the simple addition of an acoustic guitar and a tambourine, bluesy original "Been Worryin'" showcases the pair's ability to blend their voices effectively. Albino's more understated, soulful vocalizations match well with Clyde's eccentric vocal acrobatics often throughout the record. Other standout tracks include the Carter Family classic "Hello Stranger," which almost sounds like a madcap Moldy Peaches tribute, a sincere take on Bob Dylan's "Girl from the North Country" and an appropriately reverent version of Woody Guthrie's "Pastures of Plenty." The pair are at their best when putting a bluesy spin on folkier numbers.
Clyde and Albino have put together a set of tunes that showcase their talents as arrangers while giving ample opportunity to demonstrate their own unique vocal talents. With a rootsy flavour conveyed by the stripped-down palette, Blue Blue Blue is built on the firm foundation of like-minded individuals that have stepped out and taken adequate risks — though they don't break new ground, they approach each track with plenty of respect.
(Cinematic)Kicking off with Blind Willie McTell's "You Were Born to Die", the tone is set early as Clyde and Albino present a predominantly stripped down, minimalist approach throughout. With the simple addition of an acoustic guitar and a tambourine, bluesy original "Been Worryin'" showcases the pair's ability to blend their voices effectively. Albino's more understated, soulful vocalizations match well with Clyde's eccentric vocal acrobatics often throughout the record. Other standout tracks include the Carter Family classic "Hello Stranger," which almost sounds like a madcap Moldy Peaches tribute, a sincere take on Bob Dylan's "Girl from the North Country" and an appropriately reverent version of Woody Guthrie's "Pastures of Plenty." The pair are at their best when putting a bluesy spin on folkier numbers.
Clyde and Albino have put together a set of tunes that showcase their talents as arrangers while giving ample opportunity to demonstrate their own unique vocal talents. With a rootsy flavour conveyed by the stripped-down palette, Blue Blue Blue is built on the firm foundation of like-minded individuals that have stepped out and taken adequate risks — though they don't break new ground, they approach each track with plenty of respect.