Elena Yeung

Elena Yeung seems so comfortable with the rhythms and melodies of American bluegrass you might think they ran through her veins. A first-generation Chinese-Canadian raised in small town Manitoba, Yeung currently resides in the heart of BC's Kootenays, where she plays a mean banjo and sets her searing voice on the age-old themes of murder and heartbreak. The 11 original compositions on the disc cover a lot of ground stylistically, from the dark, driving bluegrass of opening track "Gravedigger's Daughter" to the mandolin-laced balladry of tunes like "Howl Away" to the bouncy fiddle work on songs such as "Skipping Stones." The disc's minimal production and occasional rough spots only serve to contribute to its air of authenticity. This is a nice little debut for a voice that just might be on the verge of finding its place in the world.