Still recording at home in the California desert and selling out of their Post Office Box in Joshua Tree, the Original Harmony Ridge Creek Dippers haven’t changed much since their self-titled debut of last year.
On Pacific Coast Rambler, husband-and-wife Mark Olson and Victoria Williams (the latter listed as Mabel Allbright in the credits) are joined once again by fiddler and multi-instrumentalist Mike “Razz” Russell, and this time also by former Black Crowes guitarist Marc Ford. The songs and sounds remain remarkably innocent and simple, with an artistic spirit as free and independent as the DIY business route they’ve taken to circumvent the music industry.
The leadoff track, “Give My Heart To You”, is the closest thing to a hit single the Creek Dippers might ever record, an instantly catchy number highlighted by the effortless harmonizing of Olson and Williams. Things take a decidedly different turn on the second song, “Kai’s Bristlecone Waltz”, a fiddle-driven instrumental with an Irish-folk feel to it. Yet another mood swing materializes on the next song, the album’s title track, a movingly melancholy number that captures the lonely heart of its main character.
Things proceed in much the same manner throughout the disc, though the most memorable material seems stacked toward the front. “Owens Valley Day” is almost as catchy as the opening song; Williams (er, Allbright) takes lead on “Prayer Of The Changing Leaf”; “Elijah” bounces along like an old-timey folk chant. As with their first record, Pacific Coast Rambler is only about 30 minutes long, which some folks might consider a bit short; but such brevity ultimately fits the unambitious nature of this beast.