‘Grapes of Wrath’ Vocal Grit & Diamond-Sharp Female Vocals Dominate This Collection

This debut album from what is tagged as a folk-roots duo — The Lark and the Loon — are Rocky Steen and Jeff Rolfzen. Together, they seem to spread their wings over a far wider variety of genres of music than just folk-roots. They apparently connect well with old-fashioned ballads, a little bluegrass, country-folk, traditional, and mountain music. Everything placed carefully into their bowl (repertoire) and mixed up into a presentation that is, as stated in one of their press releases, unvarnished. Yet, with a polish lacking (and that doesn’t mean they can’t play their instruments, they are proficient) — the showcase is far more authentic than most collections that are released today. This is more home grown, more sincere and true.

With their first album “Songbirds and Fog,” the two-some kicks off the album with a harmonica driven “With Ya,” and it’s an energetic little tune with the somewhat quirky vocals of Jeff Rolfzen who possesses a rather cool, down to earth hillbilly tenor. These are modern day descendants of Pete Seeger, Will Geer, Burl Ives, Ramblin’ Jack Elliott, Erik Darling (The Rooftop Singers), Hamilton Camp, Woody Guthrie, and even the high-pitched quasi-traditionilist folk vocalist John Jacob Niles.

Some songs on this collection are just good examples of performance and vocalizing. Rocky Steen’s (the lady here) performance of “Ticket to Paradise,” is velvety smooth in the manner that Susan Osborne’s “Lay Down Your Burden,” was when she sang it with the Paul Winter Consort. Steen’s vocal is a perfectly folk pitched female vocal. She hits high notes in places you wouldn’t expect and this is what colorizes, infuses her style on the lyric. Jeff’s backup vocal parallels Rocky’s unobtrusively. She concludes the song surprisingly with a little Ella Fitzgerald approach which I found charming.

Overall the music is reminiscent at times of the work of Geoff and Maria Muldaur back in the early 70’s, with a little of the eccentric taste of John and Beverly Martyn. The Lark and the Loon may be a little more rustic in nature in comparison, but they are mining the same vein in a contemporary manner.

Despite some corny takes the musicianship and arrangements are spot on. I believe what this duo tries to accomplish is to just record some songs that are fun and to chase stress away. There are no heavy protest songs, or dour dark explorations. Everything is upbeat and nothing drags. “Turn Yourself Around,” is a wonderful driving tune sung excellently between Jeff and Rocky. Rocky has that pulsing Mary Travers style in her vocals on this song. A nice harmonica break by Jeff frames the tune with old-fashioned John Sebastian, jug band type fervor.

The spoken introduction by Jeff on “Johnny and Mari,” may put some listeners off, but wait for Rocky’s vocal. Sung in a poignant very-Townes Van Zandt style she is radiant in this beautifully rendered folk-story song. Some beautiful harmonica and acoustics accompany Rocky, a little Euro-gypsy accordion snakes in and out and the song begins to unravel in a compelling manner.

Rocky Steen plays guitar, autoharp, accordion, washboard, shakers and kick drum. Jeff Rolfzen plays guitar, banjo, harmonica and dobro. The CD package, unfortunately, doesn’t list any of this information in the art and though there’s plenty of room. There are 19 tracks on this collection and a little more annotation would have been helpful. I, for one, like to read and see who plays what, when and where.

“Oh, What a Year,” isn’t highlighted on the press release as anything special, but this is one of the best tracks on the album – performed, sung, and arranged. Nice banjo and acoustic guitar work, excellent vocals between Rocky and Jeff who traded the grit and grime of the city of Chicago, according to their press release, and set out for the pretty and peaceful Ozark countryside where this album began to pull together its molecules of music and then – recorded in their cabin in Arkansas the songs took their shape.

Not many artists can keep their music stripped down and maintain a compelling structure. Bob Dylan did this way back when he and The Band in an upstate New York pink house (Big Pink) recorded what became The Basement Tapes. Ever since those raw recordings were embraced by the public, and other artists alike, many writers of song tried their hand at the unpainted, unvarnished and finished style of the high glossed recording studio.

Bruce Springsteen (“Nebraska”) tried it, John Mellancamp, and many others. Sometimes, just doing it the old-fashioned way is the best way – you capture something in the room that isn’t in an antiseptic studio. Of course, hopefully the place where you are writing and recording has some voodoo in it. Some magic.

Rocky sings a banjo driven ballad “The Feast,” and this is her masterful tune. Her voice reaches for so many diversified tones, and she leaves behind a wonderfully poignant song. Along with her other tune “Summer’s Song,” Rocky flirts with a Maria Muldaur stylistic virtuosity and she succeeds well. Very impressive. This puts Rocky in good company.

Jeff starts “Long Roads,” with an accordion and his voice is so Levon Helm-oriented here it sounds like a lost Band song. A very well written song, nice tale, sanded into a smooth rural tone.

Jeff’s finest vocal comes in “Daedalus and Icarus,” with a solid banjo pluck that drives the tune and Jeff tells an engaging story. Somewhere in heaven Pete Seeger is smiling. Following this track Rocky returns again with her diamond-sharp and shiny vocals on “Bramble Hill.” In the tradition of 1960’s folk-giant Melanie Safka (“Lay Down Candles in the Rain”) – Rocky once again unleashes her marvelous voice on a fanciful tune that she simply owns. This is my favorite song on the entire album. Rocky is just untouchable in the way she leaps through her notes with her high-octane voice. Absolutely beautiful. This is excellent folk singing – it borders on a rural operatic radiance. I get chills listening to a woman who sings like this. It’s what sets average singers apart from the really accomplished vocalist.

“Young Gypsy,” sounds like early Bob Dylan and Jeff does this one with buttery rhythm and sincere folk singer power. Woody Guthrie would be proud of this. He actually possesses the vocal grit of the immigrant road scholar of the depression, a Grapes of Wrath voice with an acoustic guitar and a dedicated waif orphan girl with a voice from a box car. Yeah…excellent again.

Just when you think that’s it – how much more can they do that holds tight to a strong tradition of Americana? And the banjo plucks like machine gun bullets and the combined vocals of Jeff and Rocky come at you in “Lonesome Prison Blues,” like the twin brothers of The Proclaimers would do in their finest Rooftop Singers arrangement. This is exciting stuff. It has country-blues weaving through the melody, joy and pain riding their rustic tonsils and these young people have brought the truth in authentic folk music back from the dead. And as well, recollect people like the legendary Erik Darling at the same time. It’s still stripped down in nature, no bombastic studio effects, just a dynamic banjo, wailing harmonica, voices back from the dead and hellfire in their pounding feet that keep the beat like the Fairfield Four as they performed “O Lazarus,” in the excellent “Down from the Mountain” concert documentary. From the exuberant “Lonesome Prison Blues,” the duo segues into a brilliantly sung “Lieta,” by Rocky Steen. This is chilling stuff again. Mature, sophisticated and celebrating the survival of the spirit. This is a great folk song and wonderfully rendered. This little band is special because at the least — they are consistent.

Jeff’s voice reminds me also of the vocals of legendary producer/ singer T Bone Burnette. This came to light especially in the short acoustic guitar tune “The Hummingbird Song.”  There’s lots to recommend here in this giant 19-song collection by The Lark and the Loon. Some may have to taste it liberally. Others can sit and take it in one sitting.

The CD was designed by Jameson Begeman and contains some beautiful color images by Jeff Rolfzen himself. Both Jeff and Rocky have since married so they are: Jeff and Rocky Steen-Rolfzen. Congratulations.

Since the entire collection was recorded by Jeff and Rocky at their home in Arkansas I will assume the production credit is all theirs.

Website: http://www.thelarkandtheloon.com/store/songbirds-and-fog-cd

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thelarkandtheloon

Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/the-lark-and-the-loon

Bandcamp:  https://thelarkandtheloon.bandcamp.com/

Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in this review / commentary are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the official position of No Depression. All photography is owned by the respective photographers and is their copyrighted image; credited where photographer’s name was known & being used here solely as reference and will be removed on request. YouTube images are standard YouTube license.

John Apice / No Depression / February 2017