Claire Lynch – Silver And Gold
You might not recall when or where, but chances are you’ve heard Claire Lynch. The unassuming singer-songwriter lives outside Huntsville, Alabama, in the tiny town of Hazel Green. Two hours north, in a place sometimes called Music City, she’s found a home away from home. That’s where she earned a measure of fame lending delightfully effervescent harmonies to recordings by Emmylou Harris, Patty Loveless and Dolly Parton and penning sweetly soulful tunes for Stephanie Davis, Tanya Tucker and Kathy Mattea.
But if Lynch was once known as “Nashville’s best-kept bluegrass secret,” the underground assignation quickly faded when her 1995 Rounder debut, Moonlighter, was nominated for a Grammy. While Moonlighter relied on studio pickers, Silver And Gold features her touring ensemble, the Front Porch String Band, led by Lynch’s mandolin-playing husband Larry. The collection unfolds with a free and easy familiarity that has the feel of a live performance. Standouts include “Hey Lonesome”, a bright and bouncy Jimmy Martin chestnut that allows Lynch to show off her vocal range; “Who Knows What Tomorrow May Bring”, a cool swing number that recalls Dan Hicks & His Hot Licks; and Lynch’s own “Death Angel”, a spooky folk ballad that sounds like it could have been written a couple hundred years ago.