True North” is Kristen Grainger and Dan Wetzel.     “Time and Materials” is the latest in a series of excellent albums this duo has released.

Not many ensembles in this age play instruments that they have made themselves, but Dan and Kristen do.  Dan is an accomplished luthier ,

and his creations ring out crisp and true on this project. The clarity of both the voices and the instruments is exceptional.  I felt as if the two of them were in my office here, singing just for me.   

The album is the very essence of singer/songwriter/ acoustic music.   Every word is easily understandable, and there are few overdubs- just the magic of two melodious voices perfectly in time and in tune, on guitar and ukelele.   

They began this project with the aim of capturing the elegant simplicity of their duo live performances- just their two voices blending with precision on spare, descriptive vignettes of folks and situations they have witnessed- over their long years of playing their songs  everywhere from large concert halls to  cozy folk clubs.  This collection of songs admirably achieves that goal, and you’ll be singing the songs to yourself after the final track.

Kristen writes the majority of the songs, but Dan also contributes songs- along with his superb picking in a hybrid bluegrass/fingerstyle fashion on the gorgeous guitar he fashioned from an historic mahogany tree.

All of the song selections are excellent, but my favorite is perhaps the opening track   “The Sound of Losing You”- written by Kristen.   I can hear lots of other highly touted Americana groups recording this song and having great success with it- though I don’t think any of them could outdo this original.  Kristen’s contralto voice is just so evocative and supple, and makes every listen a pleasure.

They also have re-recorded a couple of songs from earlier albums of theirs here- to give the arrangements and poetic lyrics more room to breathe and affect.

Their song about “Doris Dean”, a split skirt rodeo cowgirl, is a masterful portrait of a woman from another time.  Kristen contrasts her story with women of our current time, and blends in her desire to experience some of the feelings and from that time. 

All of us has spent some time in the “Still Life Cafe”, either as a patron or waitstaff.    It’s a poignant reminder that we live in a nation of immigrants, and our good fortune is a matter of luck rather than virtue.   

It is OUR good luck to have True North out on the road, working hard at writing songs and being willing to sing them for us.    “Time and Materials” is a gift and 

reminder of the importance and worth of this folk/bluegrass/americana music.

Tom May

singer/songwriter/Producer, “River City Folk”

Music that makes a difference, heard across the US since 1985