Jump the Fire (Self-released, 2016)
Evie Ladin Band
Reviewed by John Lupton
Like other young "old time" women of her generation (other notable examples include Abigail Washburn and Rayna Gellert), Ladin used her background in old time music as a launchpad to investigate the music of other cultures (including in her case, Nigeria) and assimilate it all into a songwriting and performance ethic distinctly her own. After forming her own Evie Ladin Band with bassist/percussionist Keith Terry and guitarist Erik Pearson, their self-titled debut in 2012 drew enough raves to land them Americana Album of the Year from the Independent Music Awards/Vox Pop. Four years later, "Jump The Fire" finds them still one of the most adventurous and hard-to-label outfits on the scene.
Ladin's frailing, "clawhammer" banjo playing is at the core of the band's instrumental sound, and while she can keep up to speed with the best of them, she relies more on tone and timing here to convey what each song is trying to say. Her songwriting, as on "Under The Waterline" and "Heat Of The Day" is intelligent and imaginative without being pretentious or obtuse, and she even works in occasional references and musical "cameos" ranging from the Carter Family to the Rolling Stones.
As a vocalist, Ladin's voice is unerringly clear, rich, and on pitch - she would be equally at home fronting a swing band or a jazz quartet, and on "Drinking About You" she goes the full honky tonk, but she seems to have found her niche blending old time sounds with blues, country, African and whatever else suits her mood. It's not easy to describe, but it's easy to listen to and appreciate.
CDs by Evie Ladin Band
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