Tres Chicas

Despite their deceptively Latin-esque name, there are no salsa beats to be found on Bloom, Red & the Ordinary Girl. Rather, heartfelt country rock composed and gorgeously sung by three of the genre’s eminent female songwriters, instrumentalists and vocalists. Based out of Raleigh, NC, Caitlin Cary (formerly of Whiskeytown), Tonya Lamm (formerly of Hazeldine) and Lynn Blakey (Glory Fountain) follow up their well-received 2004 debut Sweetwater with yet more well-crafted melodies, hearty, satisfying, three-part harmonies and lyrics that are mildly jaded but never bitter. They bring in a variety of talented musicians to add depth to their mostly straight-ahead country rock sound — cello, viola, a vintage organ vibe and occasional lounge-y flute and clarinet embellishments leave you wanting more. Warm, weary and worldly-wise, these Chicas provide pure listening pleasure. Here’s hoping that, with this auspicious second album, they’re still just getting warmed up.