The Wailin' Jennys: Live at the Mauch Chunk Opera House (Shock)

On the release of their Firecracker album a couple of years back I noted that you'd be forgiven for getting burn-out on this whole old-time country music sung authentically by people who are probably middle-class and well educated.

Still, people like Gillian Welch do it so well, and you don't want to open up that whole "can white people sing the blues?" discussion.

So if you like that kind of folksy, close harmony, Americana with fiddle, banjo and so on, then these gals from Canada (who attach themsleves to the Celtic lineage of bluegrass and mountain music) do it extremely well.

They open with Deeper Well (a calling card for Emmylou Harris) and thereafter deliver the old Summertime, traditional material, Lead Belly's Bring Me Li'l Water, Welch's One More Dollar, Jane Siberry's Calling All Angels, and pepper in some of their own material which slips in seamlessly.

It is all exceptionally polite and delivered to perfection which can make it sometimes a little bloodless (Summertime is more a pristine, vocal showcase, the Lead Belly much the same which rather ignores what it is actually about).

But here for your listening pleasure are the Wailin' Jennys again. Polished, polite and full of folk harmonies that you can admire.

I doubt I'll play it again.